Paraglider loses life following crash
Thursday, July 19, 2007 11:39 AM PDT
RPV — After being airlifted to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center with a broken pelvis, 46-year-old Alex Hurtado died Sunday at approximately 9:45 p.m. from injuries he sustained after crash-landing near a Rancho Palos Verdes home.
At about 4:40 p.m., Hurtado went down in the 4200 block of Admirable Drive in RPV.
Hurtado, a West Los Angeles resident, was late meeting friends who were already on the ground. He was flying by himself.
“They saw him flying, but then he disappeared behind a mountain,” said Jose Lopez, Hurtado’s friend of 10 years.
Bystanders noticed a “partial collapse” in the victim’s parachute as he flew in the paraglider, which might have caused the crash.
“There was a collapse of some type in his chute,” said Capt. Gary MacCleverty of the Lomita Sheriff’s Station. “It was noticed by personnel that were out there [who] called the Fire Department. We went out and found him.”
MacCleverty said upon crashing, Hurtado complained of not having feeling in his left leg, and his blood pressure was down until paramedics arrived.
“He hit the ground apparently pretty hard. From what I understand, he landed in some heavier brush before he hit the ground, so that might have helped the fall a little bit,” said MacCleverty.
Hurtado’s daughter, Fanny, said internal bleeding and a collapse of his lungs killed Hurtado.
Fanny said her father loved the freedom of flying.
“He was a very humble person,” Fanny said.
“He was very friendly, always smiling. He easily made friends,” Lopez said.
Hurtado’s body will undergo an autopsy to further investigate the accident, according to Fanny.
Hurtado is survived by his wife, Rene, their two daughters and one son.
— Ashley Ratcliff and Rebecca Villaneda
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