26 May 2026
A paraglider who was struck by a light aircraft high above the Austrian Alps has described the incident as her ‘second birthday’ after surviving what could easily have been a fatal accident.
The dramatic mid-air collision occurred on Saturday afternoon near Zell am See, Austria, when 44-year-old Sabrina T was enjoying a routine paragliding flight over the Salzburg mountains. Moments later, her canopy was shredded after being hit by a Cessna 182, sending her into a rapid descent.
🚨 WATCH: A paraglider gets hit by a Cessna 172 near the Austrian town of Zell am See.
The paraglider was able to pull her rescue parachute and land safely shortly after the incident on Saturday.
According to police, the 44-year-old Austrian had started from Schmittenhöhe in… pic.twitter.com/HYQ7euRu57
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Remarkably, Sabrina remained calm enough to deploy her reserve parachute and make a safe emergency landing on a forest track below. She escaped with little more than bruises. The Cessna pilot, a 28-year-old from Tyrol, was also able to land safely at Zell am See Airport.
What makes the story even more extraordinary is that the entire event was captured on an action camera worn by Sabrina.
The footage begins peacefully, showing stunning Alpine scenery as Sabrina soars above the mountains. The distant sound of an engine can be heard moments before the aircraft suddenly appears and tears through her paraglider wing. The canopy collapses instantly and she begins to fall.
Within seconds, she reaches for her reserve parachute and deploys it successfully, slowing her descent and allowing her to reach the ground safely. After landing, a relieved Sabrina can be heard saying: “I’m still alive – that’s the main thing.”
Posting the video to Instagram, where it quickly went viral, Sabrina reflected on just how close she had come to disaster.
“The day a Cessna 172 knocks you out of the sky while paragliding. I still can’t really believe that I’m sitting here writing this,” she wrote. “I’m calling it my second birthday.”
According to Salzburg police, Sabrina had launched from Schmittenhöhe and was flying towards Piesendorf when the collision occurred above the Pinzgauer Hütte at around 1315 local time. The pilot of the Cessna was conducting a local flight from the Glemmtal valley towards Zell am See. Police said the pilot reported being unable to take evasive action in time to avoid the paraglider.
The incident serves as a reminder of the challenges of sharing airspace in popular recreational flying areas, particularly in mountainous regions where gliders, paragliders and powered aircraft often operate in close proximity.
