SAFA Skysailor Magazine

59 WINTER 2026 | June-July-August SKY SAILOR they fail to regain control of their glider, they must be mentally prepared to deploy their reserve in good time. #2185 – PG line knot, Tamborine launch, Qld/S PIC launched their paraglider from Mt Tamborine (Qld/S). Despite a check of the lines prior to launch, once inflated, a knot in the upper cascade was undetected. This manifested itself in flight with a significant sink rate, associated with the resulting wing deformation on the right-hand wing. PIC attempted to clear the line, but the wing was slowing, then spun at approx. 150-200m above the treetops and 300m from launch. PIC deployed their reserve which required an extra tug to open fully only a second or two before PIC impacted the trees. They descended through the canopy, with the wing and reserve snagging the top two branches, and were suspended 50m above the ground. Emergency services undertook the extraction, which was a lengthy process. PIC drank all the water in their reservoir