A man was killed in a paragliding accident in Imperial Beach Wednesday, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said.
At around 4:15 p.m., deputies from the Imperial Beach Sheriff’s Station responded to a call of a 48-year-old man not breathing after falling onto rocks in the 1600-block of Seacoast Drive.
When deputies arrived, they discovered the victim -- now identified as Henry Ho, of Windsor, Colo. -- severely injured on the rocks. Despite resuscitative efforts by paramedics and lifeguards, Ho was pronounced dead at the scene.
Witnesses at the scene saw Ho hit the ground and attempted to help him until firefighters arrived, according to the sheriff's department. Other paragliders also saw the victim spiraling in the air.
A report released by the medical examiner's office stated that Ho was paragliding with a class, including an instructor. After Ho drifted off and crashed into the rocks, the instructor gave him CPR.
"According to witness statements the man was unfortunately slammed into the rocks, on a hill, on a bedrock out by the beach area," said Lt. Marco Garmo.
Witnesses told NBC 7 they had seen the victim struggling while paragliding prior to the fatal crash on the rocks.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been told about the paragliding business involved in the fatal accident, and has been in contact with the business.
Garmo said it is illegal to paraglide in Imperial Beach except to practice getting the chute up and down. He said there have been no paragliding deaths in IB for at least two years.