"Hearing about the paragliding fatality in Son Tra still makes my blood run cold," said Hoang Anh, a tourist from Hanoi. In late June, her family and a friend's family went to Da Nang and decided to try paragliding after seeing enticing advertisements.

The first three members of their group flew successfully. The final flight involved the pilot, Hoang Anh, and her 5-year-old child.

Before the flight, the pilot checked the safety equipment and the paraglider, and gave instructions. The launch site was a clearing atop Son Tra mountain. The pilot and the two passengers ran down a slope to inflate the paraglider.

However, just before reaching the edge of the slope, Hoang Anh heard a loud crash. All three of them tumbled down the slope, rolling for about 70 meters. Hoang Anh shielded her child's face to prevent it from hitting any dangerous obstacles, as there were many trees below.

"Luckily, I was alert enough to grab onto some branches to slow us down," Hoang Anh said. After the accident, she and her child were taken to the hospital with cuts and bruises; Hoang Anh nearly lost her thumb.

Paragliding expert Dang Van My, with 10 years of experience and over 2,000 flight hours, said Hoang Anh's accident was caused by poor coordination between the pilot and the passengers during takeoff. The tandem flight with three people in unfavorable wind conditions also increased the risk. The slope shown in the video has many trees and obstacles that could cause injuries upon impact. However, as the slope wasn't steep, My assessed that a life-threatening outcome was unlikely.

On the afternoon of 8/7, Quoc Tuan, a 36-year-old tourist from TP HCM, died while paragliding at Son Tra peninsula. The service was operated by Tropical Forest Company. As they approached Nam beach, an incident occurred, causing Tuan to fall into the forest near the shore. The pilot flew a bit further before landing on the beach and was taken to the hospital.

Two years prior, Khac Huy from Hanoi had a frightening experience while paragliding in Son Tra. He was paired with a pilot who instructed him to stand in front and run as fast as possible for takeoff.

During the initial run, everything seemed normal, with no warning signals from the ground crew or the pilot. However, upon jumping for takeoff, Huy realized his paraglider wasn't ascending like the previous one. Instead, it descended, drifting towards the mountainside.

Huy landed successfully but injured his knee. Photo: NVCC

After a few seconds, his legs hit the jagged rocks along the mountainside. He feared the worst. Fortunately, a sudden gust of wind lifted his paraglider, allowing him to escape danger. This incident made him more cautious about participating in extreme sports.

Expert Van My suggested that this incident might have been due to unfavorable wind conditions during takeoff or poor coordination between the pilot and the passenger.

Dinh Long from Hanoi took his sister to Son Tra peninsula for a paragliding experience on the same morning as Quoc Tuan's fatal accident. As they reached the slope for takeoff, Long's sister slipped and scraped her knee on a rock. He believed that knee pads could have lessened the injury. "Paying 2 million VND for an experience without safety gear or reminders to wear it is highly irresponsible," he said.

However, many paragliding experts believe knee pads are not mandatory for this sport. Tourists are advised to bring their own or request them from the service provider before flying.

According to expert Van My, paragliding, like any extreme sport, carries inherent risks, ranging from minor scratches to broken limbs, or even death. Pilots are responsible when incidents occur with passengers. However, participants also have a responsibility for their own safety. My has seen people wearing skirts and sandals or behaving irresponsibly during safety briefings, increasing the risk of accidents during takeoff.

"If you're not serious, you shouldn't participate, even if you've paid for the experience," he said.

He emphasized the importance of thorough research and safety assessments of service providers before participating. Tourists can request information about the pilots, such as their certifications and flight hours.

Since October 9th, authorities have suspended paragliding activities at Son Tra peninsula to review safety procedures, including equipment inspections, pilot qualifications, licensing processes, and terrain assessment.

Unpowered paragliding at Son Tra peninsula was launched as a pilot program in Da Nang in June 2023. Five companies are currently licensed to operate, including Tropical Forest Trading and Service Co. Ltd. Prices range from 1.35 to 1.8 million VND per flight. Before each flight, passengers complete a registration process, purchase insurance, and sign a liability waiver.

Some names have been changed.

Tu Nguyen