A terrifying mid-air collision over the Austrian Alps was caught on camera after a paraglider was struck by a small sightseeing plane, sending the flyer spiralling uncontrollably toward the ground before she narrowly avoided disaster by deploying her emergency parachute. The incident occurred on Saturday (May 23) near Schmittenhöhe mountain in northern Austria, a popular destination for paragliders.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/california-declares-emergency-as-massive-chemical-tank-threatens-to-explode-forces-mass-evacuation-1779700335839">California declares emergency as massive chemical tank threatens to explode, forces mass evacuation</a>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">🇦🇹 A paraglider collided midair with a Cessna 172 over Austria and somehow survived. She deployed her emergency parachute seconds after impact and landed safely. The plane pilot also managed to land safely at Zell am See Airport.<a href="https://t.co/6IH7sTi3Ic">pic.twitter.com/6IH7sTi3Ic</a>&mdash; Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/2058614003077972311?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

According to the Salzburg State Police, the paraglider, identified as 44-year-old Sabrina, was flying with a mounted camera when a small aircraft suddenly tore through her canopy, narrowly missing her, the New York Post reported. Dramatic footage captured the moment of impact, showing the paraglider’s wing being ripped apart instantly. Sabrina could then be heard screaming as she rapidly spun downward after losing control mid-air.&nbsp;With her main canopy severely damaged, she managed to activate her reserve parachute during the fall, allowing her to land safely despite the near-fatal collision. “The propeller of the motor plane severely damaged the paraglider, prompting the experienced paraglider to deploy her reserve parachute,” police said, according to NBC News.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-reportedly-asks-gulf-leaders-to-normalise-ties-with-israel-sign-abraham-accords-what-is-it-wion-decodes-1779687672311">What is Abraham Accords that Trump wants Gulf leaders to sign? WION Decodes</a>&nbsp;Emergency responders later airlifted Sabrina by helicopter to a local airport for medical examinations. Authorities said both the paraglider and the 28-year-old pilot escaped without serious injuries. The pilot reportedly told investigators he had been unable to avoid the collision before safely landing at Zell am See Airport. Sharing an update on Instagram in German after the incident, Sabrina said she survived with only bruises and contusions. “I actually still can’t believe that I’m sitting here typing this and apart from a few nasty bruises and bruises all around nothing really happened,” she wrote.

During a mid-air collision over the Austrian Alps, a paraglider survived after a small plane shredded her canopy, allowing her to deploy her emergency parachute and land with minor bruises.

A terrifying mid-air collision over the Austrian Alps was caught on camera after a paraglider was struck by a small sightseeing plane, sending the flyer spiralling uncontrollably toward the ground before she narrowly avoided disaster by deploying her emergency parachute. The incident occurred on Saturday (May 23) near Schmittenhöhe mountain in northern Austria, a popular destination for paragliders. Also read: California declares emergency as massive chemical tank threatens to explode, forces mass evacuation

During a mid-air collision over the Austrian Alps, a paraglider survived after a small plane shredded her canopy, allowing her to deploy her emergency parachute and land with minor bruises.

WATCH: Paraglider collides with aircraft mid-air, saves herself with emergency parachute

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WATCH: Paraglider collides with aircraft mid-air, saves herself with emergency parachute