TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A paraglider died after a failed landing in New Taipei’s Wanli District on Saturday (July 17), CNA reported, citing the city’s Sports Office.
Firefighters received reports around 1 p.m. Saturday that a 65-year-old man surnamed Chen (陳) was seriously injured after a failed landing at a paragliding club in Wanli. He had no vital signs when firefighters reached the scene, and he was later pronounced dead at Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.
According to the preliminary investigation, the owner of the club, surnamed Guo (郭), who was present during the accident, said that when Chen was descending, he leaned back and fell into a patch of tall grass beside the landing area, per CNA.
The sports office said the paragliding facility is located in a conservation area reserved for agricultural purposes. The owner was fined NT$60,000 (US$2,069) on June 25 for violating the Regional Plan Act, and buildings constructed without licenses were ordered to be torn down.
The facility had also been ordered to suspend its operations last year after a previous accident, but club employees said memberships were still collected, according to the sports office. The owner will be slapped with a fine of between NT$60,000 and NT$1.5 million for violating the Consumer Protection Act and another fine of less than NT$300,000 for violating the Regional Plan Act. He may also face charges for professional negligence.