Chinese Paraglider Swept to 8,598 Meters, Suffers Frostbite and Oxygen Deprivation

A Chinese paraglider was swept up into the clouds to an altitude of 8,598 meters (28,200 feet), where temperatures can plunge to minus 40 degrees Celsius and oxygen levels become critically low, The South China Morning Post reports. The paraglider, Peng Yuxiang, remained airborne for over an hour before he was able to land. According to Yuxiang, he had been training at an altitude of 3,000 meters that day and did not intend to make a full flight, but was caught in an updraft. The paraglider said he experienced severe oxygen deprivation and suffered frostbite on his face and fingers. Following the incident, local authorities banned Yuxiang from flying for six months because he had not registered his flight in advance. The pilot who shared a video of the event without permission received the same punishment.