Paragliding in Oslob suspended after tragic death of pro
Authorities eye ‘pilot error’
CEBU CITY, Philippines—The local government has suspended all paragliding activities in Oslob town, south Cebu after an accident that claimed the life of an American professional paraglider.
Ma. Lester Ybañez, Cebu’s Provincial Tourism Officer, confirmed that paragliding in Oslob is suspended indefinitely after an expert paraglider plunged into the mountainous terrains of Sitio Can-aw, Brgy. Poblacion last Sunday, May 15, 2022.
The victim was identified as Peter Clifford Humes, 63, from New Jersey in the United States.
“Wala pa nato gipadayun (ang paragliding) kay wala pay klarong (conclusion) ang atong investigation,” said Ybañez.
(Paragliding is suspended because there is no clear conclusion on what happened based on our investigation.)
‘Pilot error’
Citing initial reports from investigators, however, Ybañez said pilot error may be the reason behind the tragedy.
According to initial investigations, Humes was paragliding with other professionals that day as part of their plans to improve paragliding activities in Oslob.
He also reportedly took off with new paragliding equipment.
“We’re really saddened about this tragedy, especially that he was here to help the expansion and improvement in paragliding in Cebu,” Ybañez said.
Humes was the education and safety director at Paraglide Tandem International based in Ocean City, New Jersey, USA.
The 63-year-old paraglider was hired by the Oslob Cebu Paragliding Development Co., which began offering paragliding to tourists and professionals in 2021.
Their operations, however, were limited for safety purposes.
“This means that their clients shall be accompanied by professionals in doing paragliding,” explained Ybañez.
In the meantime, the Provincial Tourism Office urged tourism stakeholders and tour operators to review and reassess their safety policies to prevent similar tragedies from happening in the future.
“This is a wake up call,” Ybañez said.
/bmjo
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