A South American woman plunged to her death while paragliding after deciding she wanted to ‘beat her fears of flying’.
Daniela Barrios, 27, slipped off her seat mid-flight and fell to her death in the Colombian forest, according to local reports.
Tragically Barrios, a mother of a 7 year old boy, had uploaded photos on to her social media account before setting out on her doomed extreme sporting trek.
In her post, Barrios who hailed from Dosquebradas, Risaralda, Colombia, advised her friends and followers that she was finally ready to to get the better of her flying phobia.
‘Join me on my crazy things,’ her captioned read. ‘Let’s overcome a fear.’
Barrios and the pilot took off from the El Castillo mountain in the Quidío municipality of Calarcá on Saturday afternoon, March 16, circa 4pm, and during the flight fell from her seat while they were flying over the Pradera Alta trail, according to the Calarcá Fire Department.
The pilot, whose name has not been released, was unable to stop and continued the flight until he was able to land. The cause of failure was related due to a failure in the security system, local media reported.
A witness saw her fall from the paraglider and immediately sought emergency assistance.
Accident still under investigation
A search-and-rescue mission was launched around 3pm and concluded around midnight when firefighter’s located Barrios’ body.
She did not show vital signs when she was found and was pronounced dead on the scene.
‘Apparently, the young woman slipped from the seat where the co-pilot is sitting,’ Calarcá fire department commander, captain Javier Arconde said, as quoted by El Tiempo newspaper.
‘The pilot had to follow his route because he had no way to stop, he was able to land well but she fell.’
Barrios, who owned a lingerie line, leaves behind a seven-year-old son.
Arconde said the cause of the accident is under investigation.
