New Delhi, May 30 -- On May 24, while flying in the Qilian Mountains, Peng Yujiang was pulled into a strong cloud vortex, also known as 'cloud suck', and rose to 8,598 metres (28200 feet). It was nearly as high as Mount Everest (29,030 feet).

He had no oxygen masks. He survived extreme cold and high wind speeds that could cause frostbite in minutes. Luckily, he missed serious thunderstorms.

At that height, it was -40degC with strong winds. Peng suffered frostbite and low oxygen levels but managed to record the entire 72-minute flight.

The paraglider later said he knew he was in trouble when his hands went numb and he couldn't control the parachute properly. Though he recovered, his face and fingers were frostbitten.

"It was terrifying...