Overview

• On July 8, a powered paraglider hit overhead power lines while flying low over the Red River in Grand Forks and plunged into the water.
• The collision produced a spark and a loud bang before the pilot fell into the river.
• Eyewitness Dusty Howlett’s footage of the incident surfaced July 14, drawing wider attention to the crash.
• Grand Forks Fire Department and Police Department crews executed a swift river rescue and retrieved the pilot uninjured.
• Local authorities are urging recreational aircraft operators to maintain safe altitudes and steer clear of nearby power lines.