Colorado man injured in paragliding accident

LEHI — A Colorado man is in the hospital after his paragliding equipment failed, sending him crashing more than 100 feet to the mountain below.

Police received a 911 call at 8:45 a.m. from witnesses who said the 27-year-old male had been doing some advanced paragliding maneuvers when he went into a spiral and lost control, said Utah County Sheriff Lane Critser.

The paraglider fell onto the south, sloped Utah County side of the mountain going approximately 40 miles an hour.

A Lehi EMS crew had to use a technical rope maneuver to get the man back up to the flight park where he was flown via medical helicopter to LDS Hospital with back pain and a reported broken foot.

The man was conscious and breathing and in stable condition but was evaluated on scene for spinal injuries as a precaution, Critser said.

The spot is a popular area for hangliders and paragliders, and it's not uncommon to have visitors from throughout the western United States, Critser said.