North Dakota Paraglider Strikes Power Line, Escapes Uninjured

A powered paraglider struck overhead power lines above the Red River in Grand Forks, North Dakota, at about 8:38 p.m. on Tuesday, July 8, sending a visible spark and small explosion before the aircraft and its pilot plunged into the water. Video recorded by a bystander shows the wing hitting the cables near a bridge, briefly igniting as the craft flipped and fell. The Grand Forks Fire Department dispatched two engines, a ladder truck, a command vehicle, two rescue boats and 11 first responders to the Riverside Dam boat ramp. Crews reached the pilot quickly, untangled him from his lines and escorted him to shore without medical complications. Authorities said the man was miraculously uninjured despite the electrical contact and fall, and no power outages or additional damage were reported.