Idaho man dies in paragliding accident

 An Idaho man died Friday night after a paragliding accident off a rock cliff northwest of Elmo along Flathead Lake.

Lake County Sheriff Jay Doyle identified the victim as Jared Lee Petite, 25, of Eagle, Idaho. 

Petite was with a group of four other people, one of whom joined him in climbing to the top of the Chief Cliff rock face at around 7:30 p.m. 

Both men were being watched by the others, who had a clear but distant view of the rock face. Petite’s companion filled his paraglider chute and jumped off the cliff, gliding to a designated landing area in a large open field that is part of a rock quarry.

Doyle said the witnesses saw Petite fill his chute, but then it deflated. The witnesses said it appeared Petite packed up his chute and walked away from the cliff face and they thought he was going to hike down to the quarry area.

When he failed to show up, his friends reported him missing at about midnight, and a search was launched in the dark. 

The Sheriff’s Office used all-terrain vehicles, trackers and people using handheld infrared vision devices on the ground. The ALERT helicopter from Kalispell joined the search with the use of night vision goggles.

At about 8:30 a.m. Saturday, personnel aboard the helicopter spotted a red-and-white parachute at the base of Chief Cliff. Searchers entered the area on foot guided by coordinates provided by the helicopter, and they found Petite’s body. The recovery took several hours due to the steep and hazardous terrain.

Doyle said it is unclear whether Petite fell in trying to leave the area or if he attempted a jump.

Also involved in the search were Lake County Search and Rescue, Flathead Tribal Police, tribal Fish and Game, Can-Am Search and Rescue, the Chief Cliff Fire Department and area residents.