PACIFICA—Onlookers retrieved an unconscious paraglider’s body from the Pacific Ocean in Pacifica at around 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 21, the North County Fire Authority said.
South San Francisco resident Solomon Lee, 59, had reportedly lost lift due to air currents and landed in the ocean while gliding over the coastal cliffs, ABC 7 news reported. The bystanders pulled Lee to the shore, cut him free of the paragliding gear, and began performing CPR.
Fire officials from Pacifica’s branch of the North County Fire Authority responded to a water rescue at the 100 block of Esplanade Avenue. Lee was treated by officials, but pronounced dead at the scene.
According to The Mercury News, other paragliders who witnessed the incident reportedly yelled at Solomon to get out of the parachute harness. They were not granted immediate access to him due to “rough surf” and cracks in one of the beach trails that was under construction.
Law enforcement and the San Mateo County coroner’s office are currently inquiring into the incident. Further information has yet to be disclosed.
