‘Can’t believe I’m sitting here’: Paraglider escapes death after plane rips through glider in midair collision

A woman paragliding over the Austrian Alps survived a horrifying midair collision after a small plane flew through her glider, sending her spiraling out of control thousands of feet in the air.

The 44-year-old woman was paragliding over the Piesendorf area of Salzburg on Saturday when a pilot flying a scenic flight struck her, according to the Salzburg State Police. The 28-year-old pilot told authorities he was unable to avoid the collision.

Drone shot, view of village with parish church, Piesendorf, Pinzgau, Salzburg province, Austria, Europe — A view of Piesendorf, Pinzgau, Salzburg province, Austria.Wolfgang Weinhäupl / imageBROKER via Getty Images file

“The propeller of the motor plane severely damaged the paraglider, prompting the experienced paraglider to deploy her reserve parachute,” police said.

The woman made an emergency landing and was airlifted by a police helicopter. Both she and the pilot escaped serious injury, according to police.

Authorities did not identify her, but a woman named Sabrina posted video of the collision to her Instagram account. She did not immediately respond to a message from NBC News on Sunday.

The video shows her gliding serenely alongside a stunning Alpine ridgeline when the distant buzz of an engine can be heard. A small white aircraft suddenly enters the frame and tears through the canopy just feet above her head.

She begins to spiral and lose altitude before calmly reaching for the handle of her emergency parachute. The reserve chute deploys without issue and she slows her descent.

Her face is out of frame after the deployment, but muffled exclamations can be heard over the wind. The shredded remains of her glider trail behind her in two pieces, still attached to her harness.

She managed to free her feet from the harness as she quickly descended rapidly, narrowly avoiding a shrub before touching down on a grassy patch.

The video ends with her taking off her gear and catching her breath after the terrifying ordeal.

“I actually still can’t believe that I’m sitting here typing this,” she wrote in the caption, per an automated translation, adding that she had escaped with little more than bruises.

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