A paraglider was injured Saturday when he went down in the hills above the Soboba Indian Reservation in San Jacinto, requiring a helicopter crew to airlift him to safety.
The crash was reported at about 8:30 a.m. in the area of Soboba Road and State Street, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
The victim, whose identity was not disclosed, was speed flying in the vicinity of Soboba Flight Park, from where he had departed, and went down roughly 1,400 feet up a hill, officials said.
The pilot suffered unspecified moderate injuries.
Firefighters summoned Cal Fire chopper 301 from nearby Hemet-Ryan Airport to the crash site, and the crew hoisted the victim off the hill to a waiting ambulance at Soboba Flight Park. The patient was then taken to a trauma center for treatment, according to the fire department.
It was not immediately clear whether the victim was an amateur or professional paraglider.
Soboba Flight Park requires training before allowing visitors to helm their own rigs, which consist of an overhead wing-like chute that enables users to soar, relying on rising air columns known as thermals and winds for lift.
Speed flying involves the use of a higher performance chute for fast descents.