‘Can’t believe I’m sitting here’: Paraglider escapes death after plane rips through glider

Video‘Can’t believe I’m sitting here’: Paraglider escapes death after plane rips through glider in mid-air collisionA 44-year-old Austrian woman posted video of the death-defying accident that had her momentarily spiraling thousands of feet before her emergency chute deployed.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00ShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 24, 2026, 4:06 PM EDTBy Nollaig O'Connor and Doha MadaniA woman paragliding over the Austrian Alps survived a horrifying mid-air collision after a small plane flew through her glider sending her spiraling out of control thousands of feet in the air. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The 44-year-old woman was paragliding over the Piesendorf area of Salzburg on Saturday when a pilot flying a scenic flight struck her, according to the Salzburg State Police. The 28-year-old pilot told authorities he was unable to avoid the collision.A view of Piesendorf, Pinzgau, Salzburg province, Austria.Wolfgang Weinhäupl / imageBROKER via Getty Images file“The propeller of the motor plane severely damaged the paraglider, prompting the experienced paraglider to deploy her reserve parachute,” police said. The woman made an emergency landing and was airlifted by a police helicopter. Both she and the pilot escaped serious injury, according to police. Authorities did not identify her, but a woman named Sabrina posted video of the collision to her Instagram account. She did not immediately respond to a message from NBC News on Sunday. The video shows her gliding serenely alongside a stunning Alpine ridgeline when the distant buzz of an engine can be heard. A small white aircraft suddenly enters the frame and tears through the canopy just feet above her head.She begins to spiral and lose altitude before calmly reaching for the handle of her emergency parachute. The reserve chute deploys without issue and she slows her descent.Her face is out of frame after the deploy...