Flight park co-owner dies in paraglider crash

UPDATE: Authorities have identified the man killed in a paraglider crash on Monday as the co-owner of the flight park where the crash occurred.

Boise County Sheriff Jim Kaczmarek says 38-year-old Justin Boer, one of the owners of the Horseshoe Bend Flight Park and an experienced paraglider and instructor, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The cause of the crash has not yet been determined but investigators believe the paraglider malfunctioned in some way.

Boer, originally from Bend, Oregon, was partially paralyzed in a paragliding crash in 2013 but returned to the sport. He opened the flight park with partner Scott Edwards in 2017, offering equipment rentals, tandem flights and lessons to those interested in paragliding, hang gliding and speedflying.

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Idaho State Police officials say a man was killed Monday when his paraglider crashed near Horseshoe Bend.

The crash happened around 11 a.m. at the Horseshoe Bend Flight Park, a paragliding park that offers pilot training and tandem flights.

Both Idaho State Police and the Boise County Sheriff’s Department responded to the crash. Deputy Kody Mackenzie says the situation has been difficult to unravel, but investigators believe the paraglider malfunctioned in some way. No one witnessed the crash fully, and the man died before first responders arrived on the scene.

The man’s name has not yet been released. The crash remains under investigation.