A paraglider was nearly in a dire situation after a balloon tangled up with his equipment. According to the New York Post, a 27-year-old man named Michael posted a video on TikTok sharing the terrifying incident where a birthday balloon almost took him down.
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Balloon Tangles Up With Paraglider, Nearly Causing Him To Crash
“Bumped into a birthday balloon as I flew into the Sunset,” he said in the caption of the video that garnered over four million views. A birthday balloon with the number 6 flew up and tangled with his paraglider.
@thenullhypothesis Bumped into a birthday balloon as I flew into the Sunset… #Paramotor #RealFairy #Paragliding #flying #ppg ♬ Free Bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd
This balloon was now getting dangerously close to the propeller behind Michael. If it had been sucked in, that could’ve caused a major accident and may have put Michael’s life in danger.
He began trying to reach for the balloon, but it was no use. At first, it seemed safe where it was, until it got closer to the propeller. Thinking on his feet, Michael began to descend to safety before it could get sucked in.
“Almost HOME,” he wrote as he was gliding closer to the ground. Once he was low enough, he was able to shut off the engine. Michael gracefully landed on some grass and managed to come out of the situation unscathed.
Michael Admits Paragliding Accident Was Partly His Fault
Daily Dot spoke with the paraglider about the close call. “Shortly after takeoff I spotted something drifting across the sky,” said Michael. “At first I thought it was another pilot, then maybe a big bird but I got closer, it turned out to be a rogue n°6 birthday balloon.”
Although it seemed like an accident, Michael admitted the tangling was partially his fault. “Naturally I couldn’t resist a bit of fun,” said the paraglider. “I swooped around it a few times, managed a kick, a cheeky tap with my hand, and even had it drift right through the lines above my head.”
As it floated closer to him, he attempted to catch it with his feet. “That’s when things got interesting. The tether tangled in my risers, leaving me 500 meters up with a balloon stuck in my lines.”
It at first seemed harmless, but as it inched closer to the propeller, he knew to act fast. “That was my cue to head home, carefully nursing just enough throttle into the wind to make it back to the airfield.”
He handled the dangerous situation lightheartedly. “It [the balloon] now lives in my living room, and I’ve even painted a little balloon kill marker on the side of my paramotor as a tongue-in-cheek trophy.”
After his video went viral, Michael was shocked to find numerous comments claiming that the balloon belonged to them. “I’ve had dozens of people around the world claim it might be theirs, which really highlights what a blight these balloons must be,” he said.
“Countless farmers in the video’s comments have shared stories of livestock being killed after eating balloons, so while my experience was funny and surreal, it also shows the hidden impact of these things drifting away.”