BROOKINGS COUNTY An accident involving a paramotor the harness and powered portion of a paraglider southeast of White on Sunday evening left a Brookings man with a leg injury and a damaged paramotor.
Spencer Gibbons, 32, was injured while attempting to fly near the intersection of 207th Street and 481st Avenue, Brookings County Assistant Sheriff David Biteler wrote in a Monday afternoon news release. The incident occurred at 8:33 p.m., and Gibbons was taken to Brookings Hospital via private vehicle.
During his attempt to get airborne, the glide chute pulled Gibbons slightly off course into a rock embankment, Biteler wrote. Gibbons landed on his feet in the rocks, causing the propeller to encounter the ground and his shoe. Gibbons estimated the damage to the paramotor to be around $500.
So, just what is a paramotor? Well, it consists of a motor and controls worn on the back of the operator and a glide chute, Biteler wrote. The operator walks or runs to get the glide chute airborne to become aloft, using the motor/propeller to gain altitude.
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