A paraglider nearly froze to death after he was sucked 28,000 feet into the clouds.
Liu Ge took off from a mountain spot around 9,850 feet above sea level.
But he lost control of his glider when it was sucked up by the clouds.
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Cloud suck is a phenomenon where paragliders, hang gliders, and sailplane gliders experience a significant lift caused by the thermals under the base of cumulus clouds.
Liu, a seasoned paraglider, found himself being sucked up while flying over the Qilian Mountains in northern China.
Chinese regulations restrict flights to below 16,405 feet and 9,850 feet is considered an impressive altitude, as reported by Need To Know.
Footage showed Liu stranded high in the air while covered in ice on Saturday (24 May).
He didn’t have an oxygen mask on and his face was exposed to the freezing cold air.
However, he managed to remain conscious throughout the chilling experience and eventually regained control of the paraglider.
Liu was then able to make a safe landing.
He said afterwards: “I felt oxygen deficiency and my hands were freezing.
“But I kept communicating via the intercom.”
Liu said temperatures can plunge to around -40 degrees Celsius at altitudes of over 28,000 feet.
Oxygen levels are also dangerously low.
Liu, who holds a paragliding license, is recovering from his ordeal in hospital.
He reportedly failed to register his flight on the day in question.
As the air traffic authorities did not approve the flight, including the takeoff site, a police investigation is now underway.
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