Return to the incident list: Incident List Near Drowning PPG Type: Type of Injury:

Pilot Details

Age: 38 Weight: 160 Gender: Highest rating held at the time of the incident: Pilot experience level:

Gear Details

Wing Brand: Model: n/r Size: Paramotor Frame: Skycruiser Simonini with

Incident Details

September 6, 2006 Location of the incident: , Type of Incident:

Pilot was asked by a landowner with a pond to come do some low fly-bys to get some good photos. The pilot agreed and proceeded to do about 8 foot-drags in the water, letting his feet drag in the water below and behind his cage. On the 9th run, he got just a little too low and the water started splashing up causing a rapid increase in drag while reducing thrust due to water hitting the prop. Within a couple seconds of contacting the water he was dragged down, face down into the water. He took a big breath of air just as he went under, something he attributed to skydiving training for going in the water. He sank almost immediately in 10 feet of water and touched on a mucky bottom. Nearly immediately he felt what he thought were his lines tangle around his feet. He reached down to clear them and realized it was seaweed. Then he started to try swimming and couldn’t. He was still buckled in. The urge to breathe became nearly overpowering and he took in a gulp of water but spat it out. He managed to unclip and pushed off hard at an angle to avoid the wing floating overhead and popped up only a few feet from the wing. From there he was able to swim ashore. He recognizes that he was within a few seconds of drowning. He was obviously quite surprises at how quickly the water foot drag turned almost into his watery demise.

Flight Window: Wind Speed: Type: Phase of Flight: Type of Injury: Collateral Damage: Analysis of the incident (additional input by the incident investigation team): Photos (if available):

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