On May 24, in the Qilian Mountain region of Gansu Province, China, a paragliding enthusiast claims he was sucked into the sky by a cloud and reached an altitude of 8,598 metres. Despite multiple parts of his body being covered in ice, he remained conscious and in control of his paraglider, ultimately landing safely.

According the paraglider, he took off at an altitude of over 3,000 metres. When his paraglider went out of control and failed to descend, he claims he was lifted to over 8,000 metres — a vertical rise of more than 5,000 metres. He considers the event an accident rather than an intentional attempt to break a world record. “I could feel the oxygen getting thin, and my hands were freezing. They were exposed the whole time — I didn’t even think to get them into my mittens.”

On May 26, fellow paragliding enthusiast Mr. Ou stated that this man has become a mythical figure in their paragliding circle: “He’s now the person who’s broken the altitude barrier. He could apply for a Guinness World Record, because no one else has reached such heights without carrying an oxygen tank.”

Mr. Ou explained that industry guidelines limit paragliding altitude to below 5,000 metres, and even reaching 3,000 metres is considered impressive. “I’ve been paragliding for six or seven years in Guangdong, going to the paragliding base nearly every weekend. My highest flight has been around 2,000 metres.”

According to Mr. Ou, paragliders usually prepare for cold temperatures, as it’s already quite freezing at 2,000 metres. At over 8,000 meters, the temperature drops to around -40°C, and oxygen is extremely scarce. While there are other cases worldwide of people being lifted by clouds to 6,000 or 7,000 metres, very few survive. “He really is a miracle — his mental resilience is extraordinary.”

Mr. Ou also said that, according to people in the community, the paraglider is currently in stable physical condition. He is not available for interviews and prefers that netizens stop paying attention to the incident to avoid escalating it further.

Despite many viewers questioning whether the footage had been altered by AI, reports from China suggest the video is authentic.

A meteorological expert commented that it was sheer luck the man survived. “This shouldn't be seen as a ‘successful challenge to nature’ — it’s more accurate to say that nature let him go.” The expert believes the incident was caused by “convective weather,” not what people refer to as “cloud sucking.” Technically, the man was caught in an updraft — the lift generated by the paraglider exceeded his weight, causing him and the glider to ascend continuously until they reached 8,598 meters, which is within the range of typical convective weather altitudes.

The term “cloud suck” is commonly used among paragliders to describe the dangerous phenomenon of being lifted into the clouds due to abnormal air currents. However, the expert noted that this term is not meteorologically accurate — what actually occurred was an “uplift phenomenon.”

Following the incident, the Gansu Province Aeronautical Sports Association launched an investigation. It was discovered that although the paraglider held a valid flying license, he did not report his flight or takeoff site that day — a violation of the General Administration of Sport of China’s Regulations on the Management of Aeronautical Sports Activities.

According to Article 14 of those regulations, individuals and organisations engaging in aeronautical sports must apply for airspace permission from the relevant air traffic management authority. Flying is only allowed after receiving approval. Violators may be ordered to correct the issue by local sports authorities. If they refuse, they may face warnings, public criticism, fines, or even criminal charges depending on the severity of the case.