A 60-year-old man has died after getting tangled in high-voltage cables while paragliding in Jeju island in South Korea.
Paraglider Bursts Into Flames After Hitting High Voltage Power Lines pic.twitter.com/049MMVmAkr
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According to Jeju Dongbu Fire Department, a report was received at approximately 4:35 pm on August 16 that someone paragliding near Seobjikoji Beach in Seongsan-up, near Seogwipo City, had ended up entangled in high-voltage cables.
After the accident the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) cut off the power supply and tried to rescue the paraglider, identified only as Mr. A, who was suspended on the cables.
They added that during the rescue attempt, his body had dropped onto the ground and at around 6:29 pm, he was declared dead at the scene.
The police and fire authorities have estimated that Mr. A died after being electrocuted by the high voltage of approximately 22,900 volts and that it was not the fall that had killed him.
The person filming is reportedly speaking Mandarin Chinese is heard saying: “It’s over, it’s over, it’s over, it’s too late, they are dead.”
The fact that the person filming speaking Chinese led to some report indicating it had happened in Laibin in Guangxi in China before it was later confirmed to have happened in South Korea.
On the morning of the 18th, the Internet Information Office of the Laibin Municipal Party Committee also issued a statement on there official Weibo account saying that after verification that the incident had not happened locally.
Paragliding is a popular activity in Jeju and attracts many tourists every year.
