A 61-year-old Gatineau man suffered life-threatening injuries following a paragliding crash in Gatineau Park near Luskville yesterday afternoon (Thursday, April 27).

MRC des Collines Police spokesperson Martin Fournel said that as of noon on April 28, the victim is in the ICU at the Hull Hospital with severe head trauma as well as injuries to the rest of his body.

The initial call came in at around 2:15 p.m. and was made by a fellow paraglider who had yet to take off and had witnessed the accident. The cause of the crash is unknown at this time, but Fournel said that the pilot had many years of experience.

Once emergency crews reached the victim, they had to stabilize him and eventually move him further up the slope to be evacuated. The victim was airlifted off the mountain at around 6:20 p.m. by a Sûreté du Québec helicopter flown out of Montreal.

Several organizations were involved in the rescue, including the Pontiac and La Pêche fire departments, the City of Ottawa's specialized firefighting team, paramedics, NCC conservation officers and police from des Collines and the SQ. Fournel highlighted the assistance of a pair of siblings from the area who helped emergency crews navigate the terrain and haul medical equipment such as oxygen tanks up the mountain.