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Cuban aviation authorities determined that a sudden change in wind caused by a storm cloud was the direct reason for the tandem paragliding accident that resulted in the death of the 12-year-old boy Alejandro on Saturday, July 5, in the Isle of Youth, as reported by the Cuban News Agency.
A joint commission from the Cuban Aviation Club (CAC) and the Civil Aviation Institute of Cuba (IACC) arrived in the island on Tuesday, July 8, to assess the legal, technical, and safety elements of the case. The investigation established that the currents generated by the storm collided with the western slope of the Sierra de Caballos, moved upward to the east, and pushed the paraglider —which was flying over Playa Paraíso— toward the sea, forcing an emergency landing approximately 500 meters from the shore.
The minor, a resident of the Abel Santamaría neighborhood, was participating in a tandem flight with a pilot from the CAC when the incident occurred. After falling into the water, the pilot attempted to free himself from the harnesses and lost control of the passenger, who disappeared before the rescue arrived. The child's body was located on Monday, July 7, around 12:30 p.m., after more than 21 hours of searching.
The weather conditions in the area had been reported as "good" before the flight, which did not foresee the sudden turn that triggered the tragedy.
However, the investigation also revealed serious irregularities that increased the risk. The flight was not a routine sporting activity: an unauthorized line of commercial flights had been improvised, charging 3,000 Cuban pesos per person, without the CAC having managed or obtained authorization from the Ministry of Tourism to operate on the island.
Furthermore, the pilot—though experienced as an athlete—lacked tandem pilot certification and was not authorized for commercial flights, as he was still in the certification process. Additionally, the necessary documentation required for this type of activity was not completed, which prevented the minor's family from providing valid informed consent.
The CAC suspended all free flight activities on the Isle of Youth until the analyses are completed, and assured that no revenue from that unauthorized operation entered its finances.
The tragedy also sparked controversy over the club's safety record. Its president, René González Sehwerert, stated last Saturday that it was the "first fatality of the CAC in 15 years" with over 60,000 jumps completed, and defended the pilot's decision by arguing that "the team could drag both if it is not released."
That version was disputed by the aeronautics community and by the page "Lovers of Cuban Aviation," which documented at least four previous fatalities linked to aerial sports under structures associated with the club between 2022 and 2023, indicating a pattern of institutional opacity in the management of accidents.
The authorities continue to investigate the circumstances of the case and are in contact with the club's management, while the Cuban Parachuting Federation stated that "the air sports community is in mourning."
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