American Paraglider Misjudges Landing, Gets Snagged on Top of High-Voltage Power Pole, Causing Blackout Across Entire Koh Larn Island

Regional News
Koh Si Chang/Koh Larn/Islands
Local News

Share FacebookXReddIt Oplus_0 Koh Larn- At around 14:30 (January 12, 2026), the radio center of the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Rescue Foundation in Pattaya received a report of an accident: A foreign national was paragliding independently (not associated with any company or tourism attraction) but lost control during descent and became entangled at the top of a high-voltage power pole, injured but had survived.

The incident occurred near Tawaen Beach on Koh Larn. Upon receiving the report, rescue volunteers were immediately dispatched, and coordination was made with officers from Pattaya City Police Station stationed on Koh Larn to rush to the scene for inspection.

At the scene, a large crowd of Thai and foreign tourists had gathered to watch the incident. Upon checking the high-voltage power pole, which stands over 10 meters tall, authorities found the foreign national, identified as Mr. Michael Travis Langhart, 55 years old, American, still wearing his paragliding suit, with the lines and canopy entangled on the pole. His body was dangling upside down, head toward the ground, and he was calling out for help.

Initially, the rescue operation was extremely difficult. The rescue team had to coordinate with the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) to cut off the power supply before proceeding with the rescue. This power cut resulted in a complete blackout across the entire island of Koh Larn. After that, the rescue team successfully brought the foreign national down safely, taking nearly 1 hour. Upon examination, the injured man was found to have abrasions on both legs and burn wounds (electrical burns) from electric shock. The rescue team urgently transported him to Ban Koh Larn Hospital.

From questioning, it was learned that Mr. Michael Travis Langhart is a licensed paraglider and skydiver, holding a license from the Royal Aeronautic Sports Association of Thailand. He was not a tourist on a paragliding trip or part of any local paragliding tourism attraction or company and was paragliding independently.

He had climbed to the summit of Koh Larn mountain (several hundred meters high) before jumping off to glide down. This sport is known as “paragliding” or “hang gliding.” While gliding down from the mountain toward Tawaen Beach, he misjudged the landing and got caught on the high-voltage power pole, resulting in the injuries described.

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