A paraglider has been flown to hospital following a crash at Tunkalilla Beach, marking the second serious paragliding incident in South Australia within a month.
Emergency services were called to the remote coastline on the southern Fleurieu Peninsula just before 12:00pm yesterday, Monday the 2nd of November.
Due to the notoriously difficult terrain of the area, a large contingent of emergency crews responded, including State Emergency Service (SES) personnel and a specialist MedSTAR helicopter.
The male pilot was conscious and breathing when crews arrived, according to SAPOL. While initial reports feared severe leg injuries due to the rough landscape, authorities later confirmed his injuries were non-life-threatening. The patient was airlifted by the MedSTAR crew to the Flinders Medical Centre for treatment.
Located near Deep Creek National Park, Tunkalilla Beach is a well-known but challenging launch and landing site managed by the South Australian Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (SAHPGA).
The association’s safety guides explicitly warn pilots of numerous localised hazards at the Tunkalilla site, including nearby power lines, barbed wire fencing, and deep gullies that can create volatile wind rotors and venturi effects.
A similar solo paraglider crash occurred at Carpenter Rocks near Mount Gambier on the 5th of October, which also resulted in non-life-threatening hospitalisation.
