Paraglider survives 11 hours hanging from high-voltage cables

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: Deutsche Presse-Agentur

A Colombian paraglider was rescued alive and well Monday, after hanging from high-voltage cables for 11 hours in the northwestern province of Antioquia.

Alberto Ocampo jumped in a mountainous area in the town of Bello, near Medellin, but his paraglider was pushed by the wind and got caught in a 110,000 volt wire.

The flow of electricity was cut off on Sunday afternoon, to allow a rescue operation that ended successfully in the early hours of Monday.

'It is one's recklessness. There were not the best conditions for flying, and I still jumped,' Ocampo told reporters.

Read more: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/americas/news/article_1454454.php/Paraglider_survives_11_hours_hanging_from_high-voltage_cables_

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video: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7838982.stm

[pinto]

1. The stuff people survive. And there's a piece about 2 fishermen found alive in a ship's ice chest,

floating on the open ocean for days.

[backscatter712]

2. This isn't the first time this has happened.

Even though we're talking about high-tension power lines with 100,000 volts, if you're parachuting, and you get snagged on the wires, you'll be okay, as long as you don't come near the ground.

Get close enough to the ground, and with all that voltage, you'll get an arc, complete a circuit, and ZZZZAP!!! - you're fried extra-crispy.

Needless to say, if you're in that situation, it's best to wait until the authorities come to help you - they'll sit and wait until the power company shuts off the electricity, then, they'll come and get your down.

This guy is a lucky bastard...

[EFerrari]

3. If a son of mine ever did that, I'd be hard pressed not to beat the cr@p out him

lol

Tg, he's safe anyway. Eleven hours.

[NBachers]

4. "You better hope you stay up there"

'cause the REAL high tension's gonna start once I get choo down here!

[EFerrari]

5. "If you hurt yourself, I'm going to spank you!"

lol

:)

[VWolf]

7. "You're GROUNDED" n/t

[NBachers]

8. Not while he's up in the wires, though

[NOW tense]

6. Headline: Americans survive 8 years with a child as President.