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Paraglider prompts strange sky chase after jail flyover

In midair. Between a helicopter and a powered paraglider. He was not arrested.

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Authorities say Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s deputies saw the 67-year-old man flying a bit too close to a county jail, so they called in a sheriff’s helicopter crew to follow him.

Local broadcaster KABC-TV flew near Los Angeles County’s Pitchess Detention Centre and caught Monday’s incident on camera.

Deputies said the man apologized profusely and explained that winds had blown him to the area near the jail facility.

About 10 minutes later, the glider landed near the Tapia Canyon Paintball Center in Castaic. “At first I thought they were just looky-loos, just trying to investigate the sport, but I figured when they cut in front of me twice, I’d better turn around and land”, Nagin said.

A sheriff s statement says the 67-year-old was very apologetic and said he hadn t heard them because of the motorized fan at his back.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Brian Allen tells the Los Angeles Times there were fears the man had flown over the jail to drop some kind of contraband inside.

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Deputies on the ground and in the air tracked the hang glider as it flew along several jail access roads, but not directly over the jail.

Paraglider prompts strange sky chase after jail flyover                      WMAR