Las Vegas Hang-Gliding Accident: Crash Kills 12-Year-Old Boy And Instructor In Las Vegas

A tragic hang-gliding accident killed a 12-year-old boy and his instructor in Las Vegas on Friday. The hang-glider was tethered to a truck that was supposed to launch them into the air when something went terribly wrong. They were both pronounced dead at the scene.

The Las Vegas Sun reports that Metro Police responded to a call around 2:50 p.m. on Jean Lake, a dry lake bed, which is east of Las Vegas Boulevard South. The glider was reportedly tethered to a vehicle that is used by the hang-gliding company to elevate fliers before the tether releases. The cause of the tragedy is unknown at this time.

The boy’s family attempted rushing him to a Las Vegas hospital, but they spotted a Highway Patrol trooper near Sloan Road and Las Vegas Boulevard South. The trooper took over at that point and notified Metro and the Clark County Fire Department, according to NHP Trooper Loy Hixson. The Review Journal writes that none of the attempts to save the boy’s life were successful.

Police contacted the Federal Aviation Administration. The cause of the hang-gliding crash remains under investigation.

Fox 5 News further imparts that the driver of the truck that the hang-glider was tethered to thought the glider had released when he turned around. The hang-glider appeared to be already released into the air, but it came crashing down to the ground.

Capt. Peter Boffelli from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department described how the hang-glider accident got worse as it fell from the air.

“The glider was supposed to release the tether from the truck itself. Apparently, that tether release did not occur. So what occurred is when the truck turned around thinking the tether was released, the glider itself plummeted straight to the ground.”

According to the report, the truck driver tried getting the boy some help.

“There was an attempt at resuscitation here on the side of the road, but they were not successful,” Boffelli says.

Since a motorized vehicle was towing a non-motorized vehicle in the hang-glider accident, Metro is leading the investigation.

Where the accident occurred is about 20 to 30 miles south of Las Vegas. The hang-gliding company isn’t being revealed in the report, either.

The boy’s family from Farmington, New Mexico, were making their annual visit to Las Vegas.

The Inquisitr has written on other paragliding and hang-gliding stories. This report on a hang-glider accident killing a boy and his instructor is, unfortunately, one of the more devastating ones.

[Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images]