Martial arts teacher Israel Mora, who paraglided from Morro da Queimada to Santo Amaro da Imperatriz, met with rescuers from the Arcancho Helicopter Team and recalled the moments of torment after the fall before the rescue. The paraglider estimated that he had fallen from a height of at least 30 meters.

The paraglider was rescued by firefighters after a crash on the hill of Santo Amaro da Imperatriz – Photo: reproduction/COBOM Florianópolis/ND

“I didn’t have a chance to get out of it. The condition was bad. I went flying very hard. I never once lost control. I just took off. The takeoff was very smooth, good, and the sail sank. We managed to dodge the first trees, we managed to dodge the second group of trees, and it was not possible to dodge the third group, ”said the professor.

Mora also recalled that “the fall was very fast. But, thank God, I found a few branches on the way, which somehow slowed down the fall and I managed not to get hurt. I beat and broke branches and ended up whole on the ground. Without air, but whole. People who were nearby saw the accident and called rescuers.

That Saturday afternoon, August 27, Sergeant Ricardo Bitencourt was on duty. The Archangel’s team went to a hard-to-reach place and a dense forest.

According to the sergeant, the group “had a bit of a hard time finding him because the place was really closed and when we found him we already noticed that he was relatively healthy. Despite bruises and a few scratches, abrasions, he stood and was conscious. He could communicate with the aircraft using gestures.”

“The fireman arrived very quickly. He arrived so quickly that when I heard the helicopter, I doubted that he was looking for me, ”said the paraglider.

When the firemen found Mora, they devised a strategy to get him out safely and also not put the crew at risk. The helicopter was stabilized in the air and the rescuer used a descent technique to reach the victim.

Eleven years ago, Mora left Venezuela in search of a better future in Brazil. He lives in Biguaçu, in Greater Florianopolis, where he teaches martial arts. Paragliding is a hobby for him, not a professional activity.

In Venezuela, he already had a similar fear when he jumped out of a plane with a parachute. Once again, life gives the teacher another chance to move on.

See the report for more details. General balance of Florianopolis.