A paraglider enthusiast, who took off from the paragliding base of Val Louron, in the Hautes-Pyrénées, has been missing since Thursday, the gendarmes said Monday, August 10.
" It was a good day for distance flying, with high ceilings, in these conditions, you can climb up to 4,000 meters if you are experienced, " says Richard Berthome, a paragliding instructor from Val Louron.
The last time he was seen by other paragliders, he was heading south-west, according to a source close to the investigation.
Research has been launched in the Hautes-Pyrénées, the neighboring department of Haute-Garonne and on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees.
“ Paragliding in itself is not dangerous, people have been doing it for 30, 40 years and nothing happens to them. Then, warns the instructor , it is the personal commitment of people, as in mountaineering. Distance flying can be risky if you venture into turbulent areas ”.