Plan B Forum

A couple who sent their 11-month-old daughter on a solo paragliding flight are being investigated on child abuse charges.



The parents of the girl were visiting Muzhappilangad beach, in the Indian state of Kerala, when they strapped the crying baby into the paraglider harness.

Horrified witnesses then saw the child, named Niya, being driven behind a truck before being launched 15m in the air.

The parents supported their baby as she was launched into the air.

After a short ride, Niya was brought back down to the ground, where she continued crying.

The baby is the grandchild of the president of the local aero sports society, which organised the stunt to popularise parasailing.

Her mother is an accomplished paraglider who began taking part in the activity when she was eight years old. According to the Indian Express, she wanted her daughter to one day follow in her footsteps.

A spokesperson for the group told the Times of India newspaper that organisers had “imparted proper training to the infant”.

"Probably Niya is the youngest solo para-sailor in the country. It was sad that our bold, successful move was misinterpreted," the spokesperson said.

But the organisers have come under fire from the Adventure Sports Academy, which stated that the baby’s flight was clearly in breach of rules.

"According to the ministry of tourism guidelines, the age limit for water sports is 14 years, and for float trips this can be brought down to 10 years,” a spokesperson said. “Since the same rules can be applied to aero sports too, this is illegal.”

Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights said the incident was a violation of the Child Rights Convention, and that action could be taken against the parents.

Police are conducting a separate investigation.

A spokesperson for the group told the Times of India newspaper that organisers had “imparted proper training to the infant”.