A terrifying midair collision in the skies above the Austrian Alps nearly ended in tragedy after a sightseeing plane ripped straight through a paraglider's canopy, sending the woman plunging uncontrollably through the air in a moment captured entirely on camera.
The incident, which has now gone viral online, took place near Schmittenhhe mountain in northern Austria. According to a report by The New York Post, 44-year-old paraglider Sabrina was flying over the scenic region on Saturday afternoon when a small aircraft suddenly appeared directly above her.
The first-person footage shows the plane slicing through her parachute canopy within seconds. The impact tears apart the paraglider wing, causing Sabrina to spiral violently midair as shredded fabric wraps around her.
As she loses altitude rapidly, the video captures her desperately trying to regain control while deploying her emergency parachute. Despite the panic and chaos, Sabrina manages to release the backup chute moments before crashing onto the mountainside.
Watch the video here:
According to Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung, cited by the New York Post, Sabrina was later rescued by a police helicopter and taken for medical treatment. Remarkably, she survived the horrifying incident with only bruises and minor injuries.
“I actually still can’t believe that I’m sitting here typing this,†Sabrina later wrote on Instagram after surviving the crash.
The 28-year-old pilot of the sightseeing aircraft also landed safely at Zell am See Airport. Authorities said the pilot claimed there was “no way†he could have avoided the paraglider.
The footage has since spread rapidly across social media, with many viewers calling the woman's survival miraculous. Several users also praised her presence of mind during the emergency, pointing out that deploying a reserve parachute under such extreme pressure likely saved her life.
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