Miraculous Survival of a Chinese Paraglider

A remarkable incident occurred on May 24, when a Chinese paraglider, Peng Yujian, was swept away by a powerful cloud and propelled 28,208 feet (8,598 meters) into the air. Notably, Peng was not intending to take off at the time, but was merely testing his new equipment at an altitude of approximately 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) above sea level.

As Peng was testing the fit of his gear, a strong updraft, known as a "cloud suck," suddenly lifted him about 18,000 feet (5,500 meters) higher. This extraordinary event was captured on a camera mounted on his glider, which subsequently went viral on Douyin, China’s equivalent of TikTok. The video footage shows Peng covered in ice, clinging to the glider’s controls for dear life, and he reported that he may have lost consciousness during the unexpected ascent.

The video can be viewed here. Peng recalled the ordeal, stating, "I felt the lack of oxygen. My hands were frozen outside. I kept trying to talk on the radio," as reported by Sixth Tone after he landed safely 20 miles (33 kilometers) from his launch point.

Peng spent over an hour in the air, exposed to temperatures nearing minus 40 degrees Celsius (−40 degrees Fahrenheit). He described the experience to Chinese broadcaster CCTV News, saying, "Everything ahead [was] a vast expanse of whiteness."

Understanding Cloud Suck

Cloud suck is a meteorological phenomenon that poses a significant threat to paragliders. It occurs when powerful thermals, or columns of rising warm air, feed into a cumulus cloud, creating a strong upward air movement. As the updraft intensifies, it generates a low-pressure region at the cloud base, drawing in more hot air from below, resulting in a positive feedback loop that can produce wind speeds of over 1,000 feet (300 meters) per minute.

A Record-Breaking Incident

Ewa Wiśnierska, a German paraglider, holds the record for the highest altitude reached after being pulled by a cloud suck, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. In 2007, an updraft propelled her roughly 33,000 feet (10,000 meters) into the sky. For comparison, the summit of Mount Everest, the highest point above sea level on Earth, is 29,029 feet (8,848 meters) above sea level.

Aftermath

Following the incident, the Chinese government grounded Peng for six months due to safety regulations, citing his "unsanctioned" flight, according to a report from the Aero Sports Association of Gansu Province obtained by The Guardian. It is unclear whether this sanction is still in effect, but it is likely that Peng may be hesitant to engage in paragliding again in the near future.