Man sustains injuries in crash

BONNERS FERRY - An engine-powered parachute piloted by a Bonner County man crashed in Boundary County about 11 a.m. Tuesday.

Emergency crews responded and found the conscious pilot, a Bonner County man, lying in a puddle of gasoline, with minor injuries including a broken arm.

Witnesses Mike and Dorreen Rocha said they saw the man fall some 100 feet from the sky on the south side of Riverside Drive in Bonners Ferry, said Bonners Ferry Police Chief Rick Alonzo.

Boundary County Sheriff investigator Dave McClelland said the man was dazed and confused and not sure of his name at the moment.

This flying machine, referred to as a PPC, consists of a frame which supports the pilot, an engine, a propeller and a nylon parachute which is intended to give the machine lift. The parachute is also a backup if something were to happen to the engine to allow the pilot to glide gently to the ground.

Alonzo said it is unknown at this point what happened. It appeared the parachute got tangled up somewhere.

The man was treated at Boundary Community Hospital.