A “bungling” flight instructor tumbled from a paragliding ramp while assisting a take-off.
Márcio Lira was caught on camera slipping at the edge of the ramp before plunging into the treetops.
Shaken but unscathed, he walked away from the ordeal on 24 February with just a scare.
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The dramatic scenes unfolded in Niterói, Brazil, as Márcio helped a fellow instructor and a Dutch tourist take off on a tandem flight.
The pair could also be seen brushing through the treetops during their first few seconds airborne, as reported by Need To Know.
Fellow instructor Guilherme Manoel explained that Márcio had tried to cross in front of him while he turned left down the ramp.
“Since the passenger and I were running, the three of us ended up tangled,” he told local media.
“But my friend just ended up in a tree, and nothing happened. I made a manoeuvre to keep the equipment stable, and my flight continued as normal.”
Márcio added: “I realised the three of us were going to end up in the forest, so I jumped and let them continue.
“The height there is about three or four metres. I didn’t get a scratch, and shortly after, I carried on with my flight as normal.”
Vander Vicente, president of the local free flight club Parapente Niterói Clube, also downplayed the incident.
“People who don’t understand think it’s a tragedy, that someone fell off a cliff, but it’s nothing like that. There wasn’t even a scratch,” he said.
“This is part of the sport – it’s even happened to me. It only happens to the instructor helping with the take-off.”
He explained: “When the passenger gets close to the ramp, they sometimes sit down too early.
“By performing this support manoeuvre, the passenger feels safer and take-off is easier.”
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