Cranston man dies in Massachusetts paramotor crash

BERKLEY, Mass. (WPRI) — A paramotor operator from Cranston was pronounced dead after a crash at Myricks Airport in Berkley Sunday morning, according to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office.

Emergency crews were called to the public airfield just after 9:30 on Sunday, April 12, by a witness who reported a single-seat paramotor crash, the DA’s office said.

When police and EMS arrived at the airfield, Gary Williams, 63, of Cranston, had suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to the DA.

Police at the scene reported that Williams’ paramotor had a fuel leakage, and one of its propellors was broken in several places.

Massachusetts State Police and the Berkley Police Department are investigating the crash.

Paramotor is a form of paragliding in which the pilot wears a backpack motor, which allows them to take off from the ground. Paraglider and paramotor operators use grass runways like the one at Myricks Airport to launch and land by foot, the Bristol County DA explained in a press release.

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