MID-AIR TRAGEDY

Paraglider, 21, Killed in Horror Crash

Police say he had an in-flight emergency that led to the crash.

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A 21-year-old man died after his paraglider crashed into a field in Plainfield, Illinois, about 35 miles southwest of Chicago. Giovanni Lopez, of Woodridge, Illinois, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Kendall County Coroner’s Office. Police responded to the crash around 2:57 p.m. Saturday. Bystanders rushed to help the pilot before paramedics arrived and attempted lifesaving measures. Lopez’s friend and fellow paraglider, Curtis Haley, 33, told the Daily Mail that Lopez was “a selfless, kind individual who would do nothing but help people.” When Lopez didn’t respond to phone calls from friends or family, his fiancée went to the crash site and discovered his glider on the ground. Lopez was an avid paraglider who regularly shared videos and photos of his acrobatic stunts on social media. Police said an in-flight emergency led to the crash. “At this time, determination of cause and manner of death is pending the results of a forensic autopsy,” the coroner’s office said. “The incident remains under investigation by the Plainfield Police Department and the Kendall County Coroner’s Office.”