Two paragliders crashed into the Pacific Ocean near Malibu Friday and had to be rescued by sheriff’s deputies.
Deputies Sevak Grigoryan and Christopher Matkin responded to a call regarding two paragliders in distress around 12:30 p.m. Friday, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
When they arrived, they saw both individuals in the water being pulled under by their own paragliding equipment.
The cords from the gliders had become tangled around the paragliders’ feet, preventing them from swimming and placing them at risk of drowning, authorities said.
Deputies removed their department-issued gear, swam approximately 75 feet to reach the individuals who were unable to free themselves because of the entangled equipment. Grigoryan and Matkin used knives to cut the cords wrapped around the paragliders’ feet, freeing them from the equipment, authorities said.
After being freed, the paragliders were swum safely back to shore by the deputies and examined for possible injuries.