A two-time hang-gliding champion has died following a paragliding accident.
Philip Haegler took off shortly after midday yesterday (20 Nov) but, just metres from landing, collided with another paraglider.
He lost control and slammed into a building.
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Knocked unconscious, he plunged from the height of the 11th floor.
Firefighters pulled him from the scene in critical condition, but he died shortly after reaching the hospital.
Philip, 59, had taken off from Pedra da Gávea and was due to land on the São Conrado seafront in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
A national hang-gliding champion in 1990 and 1992, he was also a former president of the Brazilian Free Flight Confederation.
He would have turned 60 tomorrow (22 Nov), as reported by Need To Know.
Phil had a long friendship with fellow free-flight competitor Pedro Paulo “Pepê” Guise Carneiro Lopes.
They were together in Japan in 1991 when Pepê died in a hang-gliding accident in poor weather.
“He was more than a friend. Pepê was my idol, sponsor, brother, father, partner and mentor,” Phil said years later.
“I suffered terribly after his death. I went at least 12 years without flying.”
Bruno Menescal, vice-president of the São Conrado Free Flight Club, called Phil an “undisputed reference in promoting safety and developing the sport”.
He added, “We’re gathering footage to understand exactly what happened. He was very loved, extremely experienced, and sadly, this happened.”
Phil is survived by his wife, Letícia Monteiro de Carvalho, and their four children.
The São Conrado Free Flight Club said, “His passion was contagious and inspired many. What he loved most was flying.
“Rest in peace, dear Phil, you will forever be in our hearts.”
Hang-gliding uses a rigid, triangular wing, and the pilot lies prone, steering by shifting their body weight.
Paragliding uses a soft, fabric wing; the pilot sits in a harness and steers with hand-controlled lines.
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