Chinese paraglider survives terrifying 8,500m flight after sudden updraft

A Chinese paraglider has miraculously survived after being swept nearly 8,500 meters (27,800 feet) into the sky by a powerful updraft while testing equipment in north-west China’s Qilian Mountains, according to state media.

The paraglider, 55-year-old Peng Yujiang, was initially at an altitude of about 3,000 meters when a rare meteorological phenomenon called “cloud suck” — a strong upward air current — pulled him an additional 5,000 meters into a thick cloud formation.

The dramatic incident occurred on Saturday and was captured on a camera mounted on Peng’s glider. The footage, which has since gone viral on Douyin (China’s version of TikTok), shows him clinging to the controls, with ice crystals forming on his face and body as he was pulled higher into the freezing air.

“It was terrifying,” Peng recalled in an interview with China Media Group. “Everything was white. I couldn’t see a thing. Without my compass, I’d have been completely lost. I thought I was flying straight — but I was actually spinning.”

At such altitudes, just below the height of Mount Everest (8,849m), oxygen levels drop dramatically and temperatures can plummet to -40°C. Peng said he wanted desperately to descend but was helpless as the wind carried him higher.

“I just kept rising until I was inside the cloud. I lost control and I think I may have blacked out during the descent,” he added. The most frightening moment, he said, was regaining control of the glider as it spiraled unpredictably.

Peng, who has been paragliding for over four years, was reportedly only planning to test the fit of his parachute on the ground that day. However, unexpected strong winds lifted him into the air and intensified mid-flight.

The flight was unauthorized, and as a result, Peng has been suspended from paragliding for six months, China’s Global Times reported. Authorities are currently investigating the incident.