Photographer sees paraglider vanish in Alaska mountains, then finds him dead, cops say

A person taking photographs of a paraglider in Alaska’s Eagle River Valley suddenly lost sight of the craft, state troopers reported.

The photographer called for help at 1:42 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 15, and went with others to search for the missing pilot, troopers said in a dispatch.

They found the crashed paraglider and began CPR, but he was later pronounced dead after being flown by helicopter to a hospital, troopers said.

Joshua Randich, 33, of Girdwood, Alaska, died in the crash, troopers said. An investigation into the crash continues.

Tributes poured into the man’s Instagram page, with one commenter praising his “embodiment of leadership” and another calling him “truly one of the greatest humans I’ve had the pleasure of knowing.”

“Complete loss of words. The world lost a true legend,” another person wrote. “You inspired everyone who met you to live a fulfilling life chasing their passion. What a sad day.”

The Eagle River Valley is about 25 miles east of Anchorage.

This story was originally published October 17, 2023 at 1:55 PM with the headline "Photographer sees paraglider vanish in Alaska mountains, then finds him dead, cops say."