KSL TV ST. GEORGE — Their New Year's Day flight started like one of their numerous past trips — great weather, an unparalleled view of southern Utah's red rock scenery — when an unexpected gust of wind hit. The wind pushed locals Jeff Hunt and Brad Roper up a ridge, causing the wings of their paramotors to collapse. Roper was high enough that his wings reinflated in time, but Hunt got "too low," Roper recalled. "The wing didn't have time to reinflate, and he went to ground," Roper said. "I was terrified. I tried to turn around to go back and see if he was OK. I saw his parachute on the ground, and I was just sick. I tried to fly closer thinking maybe I could land or could get a better view to see if he was alive," he said.