PORT TOWNSEND — A 58-year-old Gig Harbor man broke his back Friday afternoon when he crashed into a bluff at Fort Flagler State Park on a paraglider.
The man, whose name was not available, hit the bluff 15 feet above the beach at about 2:20 p.m., said Bill Beezley, East Jefferson Fire-Rescue spokesman.
A witness phoned 9-1-1 emergency dispatchers, and firefighters escorted him down about 15 to 30 minutes later, Beezley said.
“I don’t think he necessarily caught a gust of wind,” Beezley said.
“He just turned sharply, came in and dropped into the front of the bluff.”
The man, who has paraglided for about 12 years, initially was taken to Jefferson Healthcare hospital.
He was transferred later to Harrison Medical Center in Bremerton to be treated for the broken back, Beezley said.
Nineteen minutes after the technical rescue call, 9-1-1 dispatchers paged firefighters for a two-car wreck in the 700 block of Irondale Road.
This proved to be a non-injury accident, and the scene was turned over to law enforcement approximately 15 minutes later, Beezley said.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
