Marc Lièvremont came close to the worst. The former coach of the French Rugby team, between 2007 and 2011, was the victim of an accident which could have cost him his life during a paragliding flight on Monday November 11, in Reunion. And had to be rescued by the police.
“It’s exceptional to be here, alive”
Having gone for a flight in the Saint-Joseph valley, with other paragliders, his sail got caught in a tree, then tore. He found himself clinging to a branch at the top of a tree, hanging from a rock wall, perched above the void 500 meters above the ground.
The former US Dax coach remained stranded for almost three hours before being rescued by the gendarmerie. The helicopter was unable to hoist it up, so two gendarmes abseiled down to recover it.
“I was very lucky. It's exceptional to be here, alive. I could have ripped myself open on the tree, rolled down the slope, crashed. I have practically nothing, only a few scratches”he declared to our colleagues at Parisian 24 hours after his accident.
