Two different glider pilots were recently rescued in separate incidents, as a hang glider crash-landed at Fort Funston Saturday, and a paraglider collided with a cliff face in Daly City Friday.
A hang glider crash-landed on the beach below Fort Funston Saturday afternoon, as KPIX reports. Firefighters rescued the pilot from the shoreline between Fort Funston and Sloat Boulevard, and the pilot was taken to a local trauma center with undisclosed injuries.
According to Bay City News, the crash came less than 24 hours after a 59-year-old paraglider pilot collided with a cliff face near Mussel Rock in Daly City Friday evening. The person was rescued from a spot roughly 400 feet below the top of the bluff overlooking the Pacific.
As SFist reported back in 2015, a hang glider died after crashing into a cliff at Fort Funston, and the day prior, another hang glider was safely rescued after they became entangled in power lines.
The coastal bluffs between Daly City and Fort Funston are reportedly a popular destination for gliding because of the strong updrafts generated by the terrain, and Fort Funston includes a viewing platform for gliders.
Per Bay City News, winds at Fort Funston Saturday afternoon were reported at 17 mph, with gusts reaching 24 mph. As the hang gliding site Adventuro explains, sustained winds above 15 mph are generally recommended only for the most experienced pilots, particularly when weather conditions are changing rapidly or humidity is high, as it has been around the Bay Area.
Related: Hang Glider Slams Into San Francisco Cliff
Image: San Francisco Fire Department/X
