Saved by a steep slope?

The New Zealand press is reporting an unusual crash. They say the glider suffered catastrophic wing failure (most unusual in itself!), fell out of control 1500 ft onto the steep side of a mountain, and the two occupants escaped the crash without serious injury.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/100...th-of-blenheim

p.s. it drives me crazy when the press report "about 457 metres", an extraordinarily precise number, when clearly someone estimated "1500 feet" to an accuracy of possibly not more than 500 feet. Perhaps if US-based organisations report on this crash they will say "about 1499.34 feet" :-) :-)