The other, He Zhongpin, 42, a senior member of the Chinese paragliding team, did not. His body was recovered by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter at 2pm yesterday.

Ms Wisnierska, 35, is believed to have been the first paraglider to have ever survived an ascent to 9947 metres.

This altitude, comparable to that at which 747s fly, is a place of extremes.

Oxygen is in very short supply, temperatures can fall as low as minus 40 and 50 degrees centigrade, and, at the top of the storm, hailstones the size of rockmelons buffet the unwary flier.

Trapped amidst lightning bolts, gale force winds, hail and frozen rain, Ms Wisnierska may have lost consciousness for up to an hour.

Mr He and Ms Wisnierska, a member of the German paragliding team, had taken off from the Mt Borah paragliding facility near Manilla on a routine training flight on Wednesday.

They, and the other paragliders, had been preparing for the Paragliding World Champion-ships, which begin at Manilla next Saturday, February 24.

Both were drawn into a major storm all pilots had been warned to avoid at the pre-flight briefing.

Mr He's body was found 75km from Manilla on Thursday.

Officials believe he either suffocated or froze to death.

Ms Wisnierska was more fortunate and now has the war story to end all war stories in paragliding circles.

Ms Wisnierska said yesterday she had been flying north between two massive rain clouds when a large cloud in front of her "tunnelled" her in.

"Suddenly a small cloud in front started to get big," she recalled.

"So I went to fly around, but I was being drawn up at like 20 metres per second."

The German said she tried desperately to free herself from the clutches of the vast storm clouds, but they overpowered her and elevated her until she lost consciousness.

When Ms Wisnierska regained consciousness she was at an altitude of more than 6000 metres, her body sheathed in ice and suffering from severe frostbite.

Displaying remarkable composure, she regained control of her paraglider and guided it to a safe landing at a property between Barraba and Niagra 60km from the launch site.

Only 90 minutes elapsed between launch and

touchdown.

Ms Wisnierska contacted the German team and, on being recovered, was taken to hospital for treatment.

She stayed there for about an hour.

World Paragliding Championships organiser Godfrey Wenness, says the chances of Ms Wisnierska surviving at such an altitude were "like winning lotto 10 times in a row".

"I would say she is the luckiest woman in the world right now, not exaggerating or being sensational at all," he said.

"The Chinese man died, she survived, there's no logical reason why she got away with it."

Mr Wenness, a world class paraglider pilot, put the experience of both pilots down to human error. He said all the other pilots in the air that day had steered well clear of the dangerous storm activity.

"It's the worst mistake, and they effectively played roulette with their lives," Mr Wenness said.

Mr Wenness told The Leader the effects of Wednesday's death would not resonate into next week's start of the 'World's'. Competitors and members of the Manilla community were well aware of the risks associated with the sport.

"It's not something that's the fault of the region, the venue or even really the flying conditions," he said.