SWAN DIVE

‘Human Swan’ Conservationist Seriously Injured, Colleague Killed in Accident

Sacha Dench was attempting to raise awareness about climate change.

Sacha Dench, a scientist dubbed “the human swan” for flying a paramotor—a motor-powered paraglider—in an attempt to raise awareness about climate change, has been seriously injured in a mid-air crash. Her support paramotorist, Dan Burton, was in a separate air-vehicle and was killed in the accident. They were in the final stages of a record-breaking 3,000-mile expedition around the United Kingdom, to mark an upcoming U.N. climate summit in November. Dench is in the hospital but is expected to survive. She is best known for raising awareness about declining swan populations by paramotoring from the Russian Arctic to the United Kingdom. In 2016, she set a world record, becoming the first woman to cross the English Channel by paramotor. Both Dench and Burton were said by authorities to be “highly experienced paramotorists.” An investigation into the accident is underway.