Tributes have been paid to a respected British paraglider who died after colliding midair with another pilot during a competition in Macedonia.
Innes Powell, 54, died on Friday after he reportedly swung into Igor Volov, a 56-year-old Ukrainian, before the final race of the British Open in Kruševo, fatally injuring both men.
Powell was an experienced pilot and was hailed as a hero for risking his life to save another paraglider when she crashed into a cliff ledge, a rescue that was retold in the 2008 Discovery Channel series True Heroes.
Condolences have poured in from across the British paragliding community, describing Powell as a “funny” and “genuinely great bloke”.
Tributes were paid to the British pilot by the Isle of Wight Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club (IOWHGPC), where he trained.
A club statement said: “It is with regret that the IOWHGPC has been informed of a recent incident that took place at the British Open paragliding competition in Kruševo, Macedonia, where tragically Innes Powell was killed.
“The members and committee send their sincere and deep condolences to Sarah, Rosie and his family. Our thoughts are with them all at this dreadful time.”
On Friday, Powell and Volov swung into each other while travelling through a thermal air column. They managed to separate, but were propelled into each other again, according to Cross Country magazine.
Powell did not open his reserve parachute after the collision and landed on a path below, where he was still conscious when paramedics reached him, it was reported.
He had suffered devastating internal injuries along with a broken shoulder, pelvis and ribs, the magazine said.
The Ukrainian pilot, who was not a competitor, reportedly opened his reserve chute and landed in a tree. Volov was declared dead at the scene while Powell died in a nearby hospital following resuscitation attempts, Macedonian police said.
