Second gliding accident in Salton Sea area since February prompts concern

NORTH SHORE, Calif. (KESQ) – In the last two months, two people gliding near the Salton Sea have been seriously injured after crashing in gliding accidents.

On Sunday morning, CAL FIRE Riverside County Fire Department reported a hang glider crashed into power lines in North Shore. According to officials, the glider pilot was transported to a trauma center by helicopter after suffering serious injuries in the crash. No updates on their condition were available as of Monday morning.

It comes after a separate paraglider crash in Mecca seriously injured another glider pilot in early February. In that incident, the glider also crashed into power lines in the area.

The two incidents in a two-month span are drawing concern over safety, especially for these "ultralight aircraft." Hang gliders, paragliders, and paramotors are generally considered to fall under that category, and are common sights in the Salton Sea area.

One local gliding instructor based in the Thermal area said its very common to see people using such aircraft. He also pointed to a recent train derailment in the North Shore area as a reason for people to take to the skies to get a unique view of the wreck.

Firefighters stationed in the area agree with that assessment. News Channel 3 caught up with Fire Apparatus Engineer/Paramedic Andrew Reyes on Monday. He has been a regular at Station 41 in North Shore for roughly a year, and recently, he's noticed an increase in paragliders using the Salton Sea area to fly.

"We have seen an increase in them coming out here just because the beautiful views of the water and the landscape. I think they're out here because it's a nice area to cruise," he recounted.

In recent weeks, some paragliders have used an area just in front of the station's doors to take off and land from. It's a flat, open space, and is typically used as a landing zone for medical helicopters when crews at Station 41 request an air ambulance to take patients in need of critical care to local trauma centers.

While paragliders are becoming increasingly common in the area, Reyes said he noticed something unusual with a group of gliders on Sunday morning. He took us through the timeline of events.

"We [had] seen these paragliders flying around the station and it was about four of them," he remembered. "They were flying maybe, you know, 50, 75 feet off the ground, which we thought was pretty low."

Minutes later, during a morning meeting, the power suddenly shut off. A backup generator kicked on in the station. Sensing something amiss, Station 41's Battalion Chief decided to investigate. That's when he encountered the downed paraglider about half a mile away from the station.

His parachute was tangled in some power lines, while the glider and the motor had fallen to the ground several dozen feet below. While seriously hurt, firefighters said it could have been worse had it not been for some loose gravel – which they called "soft rocks" – which somewhat cushioned his fall. Firefighters said he was alert and talking to them before they transported him in front of Station 41, where he was transported via Mercy Air to Palm Springs for further treatment.

Reyes said while the sights are beautiful around the water, there's a dangerous mix of conditions that make it hazardous for gliders.

The Salton Sea itself can generate unpredictable and shifting wind gusts. Those gusts could easily throw off an inexperienced glider, pushing them closer towards hazardous power lines.

The power lines themselves present a big danger. Even from the ground, the thin wires can be difficult to see against the blue backdrop of the sky. But from above, they can blend in with surrounding terrain, making them virtually impossible to see with the naked eye. It's a common problem for airplanes and helicopters, and ultralight aircraft are certainly no exception.

"You can't see the wires in the horizon. You could see the poles, but a lot of times you don't see exactly how far the wires are going. The wires are pretty much invisible to pretty much all aircraft," Reyes explained.

Then comes the inherent danger of using a powered glider or paramotor like the two involved in the recent crashes. Reyes said they aren't very maneuverable and do not perform well if a glider pilot needs to take evasive action. They're slow to respond and don't climb as quickly as other aircraft.

That can be a problem, especially if a pilot realizes they're too low too late. Any mix of these factors can lead to crashes, and in turn, serious injury.

Reyes highlighted the dangers. He said getting caught in power lines often means people could fall 50 to 100 feet, causing traumatic injuries. He added, "They can actually catch fire in the wires, you know, with arcing of electricity. It creates a hazard for them because the hazard for us responding to them, because we have to get that power shut down if they're actually entangled in the lines."

When talking about power lines, he also warned the public to resist the urge to help, especially if downed wires become involved. He understood it's often a first instinct to help, but doing so could endanger the public's lives, too.

"We want to make sure that the public is being safe and staying away from downed power lines. If they do see a paraglider prepare to go down, you know, and there are power lines involved, we always want them to stay away, you know, stay back at least 50-100 feet and don't approach downed power lines at any time."

Firefighters want the public to be able to enjoy recreating in the Salton Sea area, but they also urged them to understand and know the risks – and to make smart decisions to prevent themselves from getting hurt, but also the people responding to save their lives.

"Their safety needs to be looked at to make sure that they're able to safely do what they want to do and we're able to do respond safely to it."