Lebanon mourns paragliding champion Omar Senger after fatal fall

Dubai: Lebanon’s paragliding community was struck by tragedy once again after Omar Senger, a young athlete from Tripoli who had earned international titles in the sport, plunged into the waters off Jounieh and later died on Wednesday.

Senger, who was training alone in preparation for an upcoming world championship in Turkey, lost control when his wing became entangled during a series of risky aerial manoeuvres, preventing him from deploying his parachute. Rescuers pulled him from the sea in critical condition, but he did not survive.

“My brother was Lebanon’s champion in this sport,” his sister Soumaya Senger said. “He was unmarried, fully devoted to paragliding, and was set to represent Lebanon in Turkey next week. The news hit us as though we fell with him. We always felt like we were flying alongside him,” she added.

Paragliding in Lebanon, especially in Jounieh where the mountains drop dramatically into the Mediterranean, had been suspended by official decree for about two months, but political pressure led to its reinstatement — a decision that has stirred backlash online.

One of Senger’s colleagues, identified as Nour, said that the stunts Senger attempted were “not usually performed because of their danger, and that’s what caused his fall.” He added that no rescue boat had been deployed in the water, raising further concerns about safety preparedness.