A PARAGLIDER was lucky to be alive today after plunging on to 11,000 volt cables.

The 24-year-old was left hanging 30ft in the air with his canopy tangled around the wires.

It took emergency rescue teams more than an hour to free the paraglider and all power had to be shut off until he could be released.

PC Alan Mitchell saw the man fly

into the cables in a field in Ranscombe Lane, Glynde, yesterday afternoon.

He said: "I was on the main road in my patrol car. I'd stopped because the hangliders had all just leapt off the hill and it was quite a spectacle.

Arcing

"They use this field to land in but he came down and turned.

"I thought he was a bit low and then I saw his chute was wrapped round the lines.

"Then there was a great big spark. I drove up here and I really thought I'd find

someone seriously injured but he was still speaking.

"I told him I

couldn't come near him because of the

risk of arcing, but I told him help was on its way.

"He was fine, but a bit worried. His feet were dangling in some bushes."

Peter Knight, who lives in the lane, also witnessed the accident.

He said: "I saw him come down and clip the lines. There was a big flash and I ran over. He was okay and spoke to me."

He added: "In any sport there's always

an element of danger and when you think

of the thousands of

gliders that come

down, this was very unusual."

Seeboard engineers earthed the section either side of the glider before fire crews helped him down.

Engineer Bill Blackburn said: "When the guy came through

the lines a protection device tripped the

supply which turns it off.

"We had to make it safe by earthing it either side and then had to issue a document to say it was safe for the emergency services.

"He's very lucky he didn't make contact with the two conductors.

"If he had it could have resulted in

serious burns, or even death."

PC Mitchell added: "He wasn't injured,

he walked into the ambulance, although he was clearly very shaken."

About 400 customers in the Glynde area lost their power supply after the accident. Within an hour the supply had been returned to all but 50.

The man is a member of the Sussex Hangliding and Paragliding Club. Its spokeswoman said: "He is fine. We often go from Mount Caburn without a problem. This was just a mistake."

The paraglider was said to be "embarrassed" and did not want his name revealed.

Seeboard spokesman Mike James said: "The pilot is extremely lucky to be alive. This could so easily have been a fatal accident."

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