From: phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2343552vj wrote:so here comes some details on the accident.........
First of all, it was a really an accident - not because of "irresponsible" attitude to conditions or anything like that.
He measured the wind and realised it was too much for his Takoon Air 7,5 (C kite). However, hoping that the wind might slow down, so he set up the kite, and was checking the bar setup, with the kite behind him. In a moment a gust moved the kite (which probably was not sanded enough), lines got stretched with one line around the leg and kite went up looping. It was a second and he couldnt do anything - flying up backwards and connected to kite with his leg. Probably it was not 100 ft height.....but the fall was enough to kill him//////////
RIP
This tragedy follows others including one that happened 24 years ago in Washington State in the USA. Steve Edeiken was preparing to launch a world record, 14,000 square foot parafoil kite sponsored by Budweiser. The first day of the effort had too little wind to launch. On the day of the accident, a sudden gust of wind unexpectedly launched the kite while Steve was among the kite shrouds. His leg was caught as he was carried about 120 ft. aloft. It was reported that he succeeded in untangling his ankle while still hanging on to the shrouds. The kite then started to oscillate violently side to side eventually throwing Steve away from the kite and to his death. The approximate 2 inch diameter kevlar kite line then parted and the foil folded up and fell to earth.
Life Magazine, November 1983 carried a two page photograph of the tragedy.
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