Originally published August 8, 2011 at 8:03 AM | Page modified August 9, 2011 at 9:40 AM

Paraglider pilot died Sunday after falling 40 feet near Issaquah

A paraglider died Sunday night when his parachute collapsed and he fell about 40 feet into a yard in Issaquah.

I am deeply sorry to hear this. God bless him and his family. (August 8, 2011, by foofighter) Read more

Yikes, we went paragliding up there last year (tandem with an instructor) and it was... (August 8, 2011, by marinevet) Read more

Well, some people enjoy life by doing dangerous things. It's always sad when they die... (August 8, 2011, by implicaverse) Read more

Read all 6 comments > Post a comment >

A paraglider pilot who died Sunday night when his parachute collapsed and he fell about 40 feet into a yard in Issaquah has been identified as Kenneth A. Blanchard of Renton, the King County Medical Examiner's Office said.

Blanchard, 53, was paragliding about 7 p.m. when one side of the oval-shaped parachute, the canopy over the harness that was holding him, failed and he fell into the back yard of a home in the 12300 block of 202nd Place Southeast, according to Dave Augenstein, a captain with Eastside Fire. Blanchard had launched off Tiger Mountain.

A neighbor rushed to the paraglider and did CPR, but Blanchard died at the scene, said Augenstein.

John Urquhart, with the King County Sheriff's Office, said witnesses told authorities that Blanchard was gliding on what appeared to be a thermal current and suddenly the wing of the paraglider started twisting and spinning out of control and then collapsed.