Heart attack kills Issaquah hang glider, witness says

A person hang gliding died on Sunday in Issaquah after Eastside Fire and Rescue crews found him unresponsive 30 feet up in some trees, after experiencing what one witness described as a heart attack.

Crews responded to the 25900 block of SE Tiger Mountain Road shortly before 6 p.m. to reports of a person, initially reported as a paraglider, who could be seen from the road stuck in some trees.

Paraglider rescued from tree at Poo Poo Point

A spokesperson with Eastside Fire confirmed they were found in a tree nearby the take-off point.

EF&R has an active rescue of a stranded paraglider about 30 ft up in a tree near the 25900 Blk of SE Tiger Mountain Rd. The paraglider is unconscious and unresponsive at this time. pic.twitter.com/ZC1EPTA0CR

— Eastside Fire & Rescue (@EastsideFire) August 29, 2022

Marc Chirico, the owner of Seattle Paragliding which operates from Poo Poo Point, said that the deceased is Chi Tang, a student who learned how to paraglide from them eight years ago. He said that Tang had a known heart condition and was estimated to be in his 60s.

A student at Seattle Paragliding reportedly saw Tang flying in the hang glider as normal before slumping in his harness and slowly descending, landing softly among some trees.

It is unknown at this time the cause of death, whether it was an underlying medical condition or caused by equipment failure, but the King County Sheriff’s department is currently investigating.

“His hang glider was completely intact and they will find in short order he died mid-flight,” Chirico said.

Crews used a ladder truck to get up to the person when they determined that he was already deceased.

Eastside Fire said that while there are risks involved in activities like hang gliding and people should take caution when assuming the risks, deaths are uncommon.

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