Austrian paraglider rescued from Lion’s Head crash following recent tragedy

A 27-year-old Austrian paraglider was rescued on Monday morning after crashing high on the upper slopes of Lion’s Head — a dramatic incident that again highlights the risks of aerial sports on the iconic peak.

A passing hiker and a local mountain guide saw the impact and rushed to stabilise the pilot, preventing him from sliding further down the steep terrain while calling emergency services.

A Western Cape Government Health and Wellness EMS/AMS rescue helicopter deployed a small technical team to the scene, where paramedics treated and stabilised him before airlifting him to a nearby landing zone. He was transferred to an ambulance and taken to hospital. The rescue concluded at 10:50am.

Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) thanked the bystanders for their quick intervention.

Monday’s rescue comes weeks after a fatal paragliding crash on the same mountain in November, which the South African Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (SAHPA) said involved 36-year-old wingsuit pioneer Jean-Jacques “JJ” Wallis. The organisation confirmed he had been flying a high-performance Flare Moustache wing — the second fatal crash involving that model in two years.

At the time, SAHPA chairperson Louis Stanford told the Cape Argus the pilot was a “36-year-old South African male” and said the association was reviewing launch and landing-site protocols. The November operation required at least 30 rescuers, with Wilderness Search and Rescue using drones to illuminate the near-vertical slope as night fell. WSAR spokesperson David Nel said there had been 43 incidents on Lion’s Head over 25 years, including about eight in the previous 12 months.

While the cause of Monday’s crash is still unclear, the latest incident underscores the continued need for caution and safety discipline on one of Cape Town’s most challenging flight sites.

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Cape Argus