Hang gliding is supposed to get your adrenaline pumping, especially on your first flight.
Nonetheless, an American traveler vacationing in Switzerland got more excitement than he bargained for when he was left holding on for dear life after his pilot forgot to secure his harness to the glider.
The man, identified as Chris Gursky by CBS News, was captured on video as he clung to the glider and its pilot, who was forced to land as quickly as possible with only one hand.
The heart-stopping ride lasted over two minutes before Gursky’s feet eventually hit the ground and he was ripped away from the glider. He said the unexpected flight and subsequent landing led to multiple injuries.
“Upon impact, my right wrist suffered a fragmented distal radius fracture, which required surgery,” he wrote at the end of the video. “A titanium plate and several screws were installed and I was released the following afternoon.”
“I also tore my left bicep tendon from holding on as long as I did. It beats the alternative”
Gursky, who posted the footage to YouTube, said the incident occurred on the very first day of his vacation.
Despite the mishap, he credited the pilot for doing his best to safely land the glider.
“While the pilot made a critical error in our pre-flight setup by not attaching me to the glider, he did all he could to get me down to the ground as quickly as possible while grabbing onto my harness and flying with one hand.”
“I will go hang gliding again as I did not get to enjoy my first flight. Base jumping tomorrow?” he joked at the end of the video.
Posted on Monday, the video has already surpassed 1.3 million views.