First-Time Hang Glider: Chris Gursky called it an “unexpected twist.” We call it FREAKIN’ TERRIFYING.
The Florida man posted video Monday of his harrowing first hang-gliding flight after the instructor forgot to attach his safety harness.
An airborne Gursky can be seen grabbing what he can to hold on for survival as the tandem pilot frantically searches for a safe place to land over mountainous terrain in Switzerland. Gursky mined his near-tragedy for a few laughs in the YouTube captions.
“Thinking nice view … I’m gonna die!” one read as he struggled to maintain his grip.
Gursky said he had to hang on for his life for 2 minutes and 14 seconds.
Noting that it was the first day of his recent vacation in the Central European country with his wife Gail, Gursky joked, “BASE jumping tomorrow?”
The thrill-seeking novice escaped death with a broken wrist as a result of the very rough landing and torn biceps tendon from hanging on in the air.
Gursky wrote that the pilot made a “critical error” in not attaching him to the glider but praised him for doing “all he could to get me down to the ground as quickly as possible while grabbing on to my harness and flying with one hand.”
He also struck a forgiving tone in an interview with Cross Country, saying he was not angry at him. “I am past that phase,” Gursky said. “He did all he could and more. He is a good guy.”
HuffPost has reached out to Gursky for additional comment.
