CRAGSMOOR – The pilot of a hang glider flying over Cragsmoor late Saturday afternoon is lucky to alive, the Cragsmoor fire chief said after the man was rescued. His glider crashed high up in a tree in the backyard of a home at 4019 Route 52, south of Ellenville.
The homeowner heard the crash an noticed the glider in the tree branches. She said the pilot was literally dangling in the air, screaming for help. He told her strong tail winds pushed his glider into the tree.
The woman called 911 with firefighters from Ulster and Orange counties responding with ladder trucks. It took nearly an hour to rescue the pilot, who sustained minor bumps and bruises, the chief said.
He was taken by ambulance to Garnet Health Center in the Town of Wallkill.
(video: Mark Lieb, Rockland Video Productions)
