KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. (WAVY) — A paraglider pilot died after crashing into the ocean in Kill Devil Hills on Tuesday morning, according to police.
A witness on the beach saw the paraglider pilot, a 52-year-old Kill Devil Hills man, crash into the ocean near the Avalon Pier around 6:55 a.m. The witness called 911, grabbed a wet suit and two surf boards, and tried to rescue the pilot, according to police.
Kill Devil Hills officers and the witness were able to temporarily stabilize the paraglider pilot, who was trapped in his harness; however, the weight of the paraglider’s motor, the entanglement of the harness, and the waves caused the pilot to be pulled under water. He died of drowning, police said.
The pilot’s name is being withheld pending family notification.
