The paraglider seen before his crash. Photo: Brecon MRT

Rescuers have praised passers-by who went to the aid of a paraglider injured in a crash on south Wales’s second-highest peak.

The man hit the western shoulder of Corn Du, the 873m (2,864ft) mountain near Pen y Fan, on Thursday.

Brecon Mountain Rescue Team was alerted by Dyfed-Powys Police at 3.20pm. Team co-ordinators alerted the Central Beacons and Western Beacons teams and requested the help of a Coastguard helicopter which flew to the scene from its Caernarfon base.

The Brecon team said: “The first mountain rescue teams on scene were able to treat the casualty for suspected spinal and pelvic injuries and for difficulties he was experiencing with breathing.

The injured man is winched into the helicopter from the slopes of Corn Du. Photo: Brecon MRT

“The paraglider, who is in his 50s and from the south Wales area, was then flown to University of Wales Hospital in Cardiff.

“It is not clear what had caused the accident but he was assisted by a number of passers-by including another paraglider.”

Mark Jones, Brecon MRT deputy team leader, said: “In this instance having help from passers-by was critical.

“Those members of the public who helped this gentleman were calm and professional and were able to help his breathing difficulties without compromising any spinal injuries that he might have suffered until mountain rescuers were on scene.”

It was the third crashed paraglider that Brecon Mountain Rescue Team has been called to assist in the Pen y Fan area this summer.