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

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.

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.

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.

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.