Le Figaro Nice
Tragic paragliding accident in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin (Alpes-Maritimes), an exceptional site for practicing this activity on the Côte d'Azur, nestled between Monaco and Menton.
A forty-year-old Hungarian national suffered a fatal fall there on Sunday.
The man, who lived in Budapest, was on training with other Hungarian paragliders.
After taking off in the Riviera sky, between the hills and the Mediterranean Sea, he lost control of his sail before falling precipitously into a terraced garden located on Chemin des Vallières.
According to the first elements and testimonies collected after the events, the paraglider made 360° rotations,
“like a centrifuge”
, before crashing on the ground.
An investigation was opened, entrusted to the police officers of the departmental security of Menton.
As part of the investigations, his sail was seized.
Read alsoNice: two tourists fall on a pebble beach following a parasailing accident
“More tonic air”
Another paraglider in flight at the same time tried to help him after the fall.
In vain.
The victim, at a beginner level and guided by radio, was unable to understand the different air currents in the area.
If the weather was sunny on Sunday,
“the air was more bracing
,” explains a professional in the sector.
“It’s a very rare accident
,” adds this regular.
“It's both the fault of a lack of knowledge of the place and bad luck... We must not make a generalization of it and say that it is a dangerous activity here
,” he defends.
The number of deaths in a paragliding accident is between 9 and 11 per year, according to the French Free Flight Federation, which has nearly 30,000 licensees.
The last fatal accident in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin dates back to 2021. A paraglider had fallen into the water - which often happens during accident simulation exercises - but the man had drowned under its tarpaulin.
In November, another got stuck in the catenaries, interrupting train traffic, but without being injured.
On this site, three reference schools share the courses and introductory flights.
The activity is concentrated from October to the end of April, as long as it is still possible to land on the surrounding beaches.
In summer, it is only possible to fly very early in the morning or at the end of the day.