Helicopter still searching for paraglider hurt in Canterbury crash

The crash occurred near Mt Cheeseman ski field in Canterbury. Image / Google Maps

A person hurt in a paragliding crash in Canterbury tonight is yet to be found, a police spokeswoman says.

Police were told about 6.10pm that a paraglider had crash-landed near Mt Cheeseman ski field, 100km west of Christchurch.

The person suffered a leg injury and a helicopter was responding to the emergency.

But as at 10.15pm the person had not yet been found, the spokeswoman said.

A helicopter was still searching for the paraglider, she said.

The seriousness of the person's injury remains unknown.

Two paragliders have been seriously injured in crashes recently - one at Treble Cone ski field, near Wanaka, in January, and the second in Raglan last week.

In December Tauranga man Richard Leslie Marriner died in a paragliding crash at
Mount Maunganui.

The 48-year-old's death came 10 months after that of recently-engaged reality TV star Josh Tingey was killed when he crashed while paragliding at Mount Maunganui.