KUCHING: Morning strollers, including several foreign tourists, witnessed a live drama at the Kuching waterfront yesterday as a speedboat crew rescued a paraglider who had plunged into the Sarawak River.

An eyewitness said it took 20 minutes for six men in the speedboat to free the 38-year old paraglider from the motor unit that was attached to him like a backpack and the parachute. The unidentified paraglider, who is from Sibu, almost drowned in the incident.

NST photographer Nik Hariff Hassan, who witnessed the drama, said the paraglider had earlier put on a show flying up and down the waterfront.

The paraglider, who took off from Padang Merdeka, a few hundred metres from the river, was flying three metres above the water when he plunged into the river.

He narrowly missed hitting a longboat whose crew were practising for next month's Sarawak regatta. The longboat's accompanying speedboat crew immediately went to the rescue of the paraglider.
Nik said it took quite some time to free him, as he was entangled in the parachute's cords. The man, who was unhurt, and his motor unit were moved to a pontoon by the waterfront.

Sarawak's regional director of the Department of Civil Aviation Huang Tiong Poh said the department was not aware of the incident.

He also said air traffic controllers at the Kuching International Airport were not aware of any flying activities above that part of the Sarawak River, which is considered security-sensitive as it houses the Astana, the official residence of the head of state and Wisma Bapa Malaysia and the government secretariat, which houses the offices of the chief minister and other ministers.