We returned to Isabela once again, although this time the conditions were noticeably windier. Present from early in the day were Fio López, Javier González, Nixon Porrata, Shirley Hernández, Abel Bonilla, Pedro Gregory, Luis Soto, Edwin Collazo, Mai Richards, and Luis Ruiz.
On this occasion, Luis Ruiz conducted two introductory tandem flights, giving Mirnalys and Gladys their first experience in the sport. We have included some videos of their memorable flights.
Fio Lopez’s Incident…
Fio Lopez learned to fly Paramotor in our school like 4 years ago. He has been a great pilot and keep learning and polish skills by the minute. Over the past 2 years, Fio has dedicated much of his paramotor journey to learning advanced acrobatic maneuvers. He included trips abroad to work with specialized instructors in the discipline.
During today flights, he was practicing some acrobatic maneuvers, but for some reason he performed them at a lower altitude than usual. Unfortunately, this resulted in contact with the water and a hard impact and Fio sustained injuries in the accident.
The student Pedro Gregory was recording the flight at the time and immediately alerted the other pilots to the situation. The flying community in the area moved quickly providing assistance both at the launch site and during his transport to the hospital. Fio was fine but hurt, and now is expected to spend several weeks on recovering. Fortunately, he will be fine and will fly again in the future with a lesson very well learned.
We thank here, Shirley, Pedro Gregory, Abel and Mai, who moved as quickly as possible to bring assistance, not just in the area, but pending on him while he was transported to the hospital. Also, later, to and later at hospital to Edgardo, Mario, Ivonne, Luis Soto, in the hospital areas. We wish him a full and speedy recovery.
Fio Lopez Quote on Recovering…
“I want to take a moment to sincerely thank each and every person who stood by my side during one of the most difficult moments of my life.
The support, solidarity, and encouragement I received from all of you is something I will never forget. It has become a debt of gratitude that I will always carry with me, because just as you were there for me, I hope to be there for you if you ever need me.
Over the past few days, I have shared some reflections on what I learned from this accident. However, if there is one truly important message I would like to convey to everyone who flies over the sea, it is to review and adapt your equipment with a possible water emergency in mind. I believe it is essential to evaluate harness modifications that allow for a quick exit in the event of an impact. Likewise, avoid performing maneuvers at low altitude and always maintain an adequate safety margin. Based on my personal experience, I also recommend flying with the trimmers closed or in position 1 whenever conditions warrant it.
I would especially like to thank Edgardo, who lent me a cell phone that allowed me to communicate with doctors, ambulances, work colleagues to cancel commitments, and most importantly, to contact my family.
Luis, thank you for all your help with the motor.
Pedro Gregory, thank you for moving my vehicle to a safe location and for doing everything possible to try to save my motor.
And to all the pilots who entered the water, recovered my wing, and helped in one way or another during those very difficult moments.
Please forgive me if I do not mention everyone by name. There were many people who were there, and each of them holds a special place in my gratitude.
Above all, I hope that the lessons I learned will help ensure that other pilots never have to go through a similar situation. If my experience can help save a life or prevent an accident, then it will have served a purpose.
I send a big hug to all of you. In the air, there are no ranks or differences. We are a community, we are friends, and at the end of the day, we are all pilots of the same standing, united by the same passion for flying.
Thank you for being there when I needed you most.
And a very special thank you to Shirley.
I take my hat off to her. She stayed by my side every step of the way, never leaving for a moment, handling errands and tasks within the hospital while focusing solely on my well-being. In the midst of such a difficult situation, her support, dedication, and presence meant more than words can express.
Shirley, I embrace you with all my heart. What you did for me is truly priceless, and I will never forget it. Thank you for being there when I needed you most.”
Photos…
