Chinese paraglider Peng Yujiang, 55, survived a harrowing flight after being unexpectedly swept 8,500m into the sky by a rare updraft known as a “cloud suck” while testing gear over the Qilian mountains.
Originally grounded, strong winds lifted him into the air, propelling him into freezing cloud cover where he lost visibility and control, with ice forming on his body and limited oxygen threatening his survival.
Footage of the incident has gone viral online, and Chinese authorities have suspended Peng for six months due to the unauthorised nature of the flight.
A freak updraft over the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau lifted Chinese Paraglider Peng Yujiang nearly nine kilometers in minutes — and the entire flight was caught on camera.
Screenshots from Peng’s GPS flight tracker show he took off at 12:19 p.m. from the Qilian Mountains, an area… pic.twitter.com/ov4Ld5ARx1
— Sixth Tone (@SixthTone) May 28, 2025
The association classified the event as an accident, not illegal flying, (but still) suspended Peng from flying for six months.
That bro would have been fully packing himself