Canberra's paragliding community was in shock yesterday after a popular member of the local paragliding scene died at the weekend near Lake George.
The paraglider, a 48-year-old man dubbed ''PG Bruce'' by his friends, set off from Geary's Gap on Friday morning to paraglide by himself.
Goulburn police Inspector Rob Post said the glider's support person had noticed the man's vehicle had been left behind.
Knowing the man sometimes camped after paragliding, his friend was not concerned, Inspector Post said.
The man was reported missing on Saturday morning, and police traced him by triangulating his mobile phone signal.
His body was discovered by Marked Tree Road, just outside Collector, about 25km from where he had set out the previous day.
Meanwhile, two of the man's friends - increasingly worried at the lack of news - took to a member's forum on the ACT Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association website to raise their fears.
'Does anyone know why PG [paraglider] Bruce's truck is still on launch at Geary's?'' one friend posed on Saturday evening.
''It looks as if it is in the same place this evening [New Year's Eve] that he parked it mid-yesterday arvo.
''He went north along the ridge and we never saw him again.''
The following morning Barry Oliver, a safety officer from the association, agreed to go to Geary's Gap to see whether the man's truck was still there and, if it was, to call police. An hour later, he announced to the forum members that he had received a phone call, and the issue had ''been resolved''.
Mr Oliver declined to be interviewed yesterday, and police would not release the man's name at the request of his family.
Lake George is a well known and popular paragliding and hang-gliding spot.
Police are investigating the circumstances of the man's death and will prepare a report for the coroner.
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