Paraglider injured after slamming into Milpitas hillside

MILPITAS, Calif. (KGO) -- Emergency crews rescued a woman after she crashed into the side of a hill while paragliding at Ed Levin County Park in Milpitas Sunday afternoon.

Officials said the woman got caught in a gust of wind and slammed into the side of a hill at 1 p.m..

The woman is being treated at the hospital for injuries she sustained in the crash.

Witnesses say the woman was on top of a 600-foot hill at the park when the winds picked up, causing her to launch prematurely. She was in the air for a brief moment when she banked right and crashed.

Officials said she suffered broken bones and lacerations. While her injuries are serious, they are not expected to be life threatening.

The woman is a p2 rated pilot and has completed the appropriate training for paragliding.

People who saw the woman launch before she was ready described in detail what happened after that. "At that point in time she popped up probably about 10, 15, 20 feet in the sky, body kind of swung outwards as the paragliders have an effect to them and in doing so wound up getting swung back into the hillside at which point in time I turned around at the point in time where she was the 10, 15, 20 feet in the sky and coming back around into the hillside," Robert Booth said.

Ed Levin County Park is a popular place for hangliders and paragliders.

Officials said people who take part in the sport do a good job policing each other and taking safety precautions.

Park rangers said they conduct at least six rescues a year.