Colorado Speed Flyer Dies After Crashing In Weekend Flying Accident

A weekend flying adventure at Colorado's Copper Mountain Resort turned tragic when a speed flyer was killed in a tragic accident.

One Flyer Doesn't Reach the Bottom

According to the Summit County Rescue Group, two men launched from Peak 6 at Copper Mountain Saturday morning. One man, who was paragliding, landed safely in the  Far East parking lot of the resort. The other man, with a speed wing, never reached the bottom of the mountain.

The rescue group says speed flying is similar to paragliding, but uses a smaller wing that is designed for descents rather than ascents. The speed flyer's descent should have been quicker than the paraglider's. When there was no sign of the speed flyer at the bottom,  unsuccessful attempts were made to reach the friend by cell phone. When there was no answer, a reporting call was made to 911.

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Summit County Rescue Group Dispatched To the Scene

Four members of the rescue group were dispatched to the scene along with a Flight For Life helicopter. The helicopter crew spotted the wreckage from the air and landed about a quarter of a mile from the scene. Rescuers hiked down to the man and discovered he was deceased.  They also found the speed wing tangled up with the broken-off top of a tree.

Rescue crews spent the day retrieving the accident victim's body and were finally down to the parking lot around 6:45 Saturday evening.

Here's What Speed Flying Looks Like

The video below, though not related to the weekend accident in Colorado, illustrates what speed flying looks like. It looks fun, but there is an element of danger. Unfortunately, this weekend incident at Colorado's Copper Mountain ended tragically.