Paraglider plunges hundreds of feet before splashing down off Florida coast
The pilot made an unplanned splash-landing in the ocean near Riviera Beach, Florida. Miraculously, the pilot was not seriously injured.
People helping a paraglider who crash landed in the ocean off the coast of Florida on Jan. 9, 2026. (Riviera Beach Police Department)
A paraglider recently fell hundreds of feet from the sky and made an unplanned splash landing in the ocean off Riviera Beach, Florida.
The incident happened on Jan. 9 off Singer Island, about 70 miles north of Miami, just before noon, according to the Riviera Beach Police Department.
Police said the pilot, a 52-year-old man from Pompano Beach, lifted off earlier from nearby Jupiter and flew south before the powered paraglider “dropped out of the sky and landed in the ocean.”
Lifeguards and nearby beachgoers helped rescue the man and get him safely to shore.
“The windward wayfarer was not injured and nearby beachgoers swam out to help him and his craft to shore,” the Riviera Beach Police Department said.
Paragliding equipment on the beach after the pilot was rescued on Jan. 9, 2026. (Riviera Beach Police Department)
The incident serves as a reminder to verify that lifeguards are on duty when spending time near the water, even if the weather appears clear.
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