A 21-year-old Queenstown man walked away uninjured after his
parapent crashed into a pine tree more than 40m above the
ground this morning.
Queenstown police and St John ambulance officers stood ready
as Queenstown aborist Abe Laguna climbed the tree at the Kiwi
Birdlife Park to reach paraponter Ben Letham, who was
suspended in mid-air by branches a few metres from the trunk.
Mr Letham was secured to a safety rope then instructed by Mr
Laguna to abseil to the ground, where Constable Terry Wood
was waiting to speak to him.
Kiwi Birdlife Park director Paul Wilson said parachutists
often landed on the Queenstown Primary School field which
borders the park, and this was not the first time a
parachutist landed in one of the park's trees.
"You sometimes get a run. We try to discourage them from
doing this."
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