ALTAMONT, NY - A joint rescue effort took place on Monday, October 11th, for the rare occurrence of a paraglider caught in the power lines in Altamont.

First Responders were dispatched to Indian Ladder Farms, located at 342 Altamont Rd., at 5:30 P.M. for numerous 911 calls reporting a paraglider stuck in the power lines in front of the popular apple-picking destination.

The New Salem Fire Department was dispatched with Albany County Sheriff’s Ambulance, Albany County Paramedics, Albany County Sheriff’s and New York State Police for the call. Chiefs en route to the scene immediately requested dispatch to contact National Grid to turn off the power.

Units arrived to find the man attached to his motorized aircraft wrapped up in the primary power lines approximately 30-ft. in the air, with his parachute draped over the lines as well.

A ladder truck from Elsmere was requested to the scene because it was the only ladder truck nearby that had a platform, since many ladder trucks from the Town of Guilderland were committed to an active structure fire in the Westmere Fire District at the time. A rescue truck from Slingerlands Fire was also sent to the scene to assist with the rescue of the patient.

Upon the arrival of National Grid to turn off the power, rescue crews made their way up to the patient with the help of Elsmere’s ladder truck. Crews were able to safely remove the man from his motorized aircraft and bring him and his aircraft to the ground without issue. The patient was alert and talking throughout the incident.

Chief Craig Shufelt of New Salem Fire stated that the man was flying legally with proper equipment and was believed to have been flying from the direction of Thatcher Park. The man was evaluated on the scene by EMS and was released without injuries.