Chandigarh: A Bulgarian paraglider lost his life while his British co-pilot was rescued following a crash in the hills above Dharamshala, police said on Monday, amid growing concern over flying conditions in Himachal Pradesh.
The victim, identified as 47-year-old Maksim Valentinovich Gavrilichenko of Bulgaria, died after his paraglider went down near Rising Star Peak in the Khaniyara-Yol belt on Sunday afternoon. His 63-year-old British companion, Stephen Antony Purdie, was later brought to safety by rescue teams.
According to Kangra Superintendent of Police Kulbhushan Verma, the mishap took place between 3 pm and 3.30 pm. Preliminary accounts suggested that gusty winds may have contributed to the accident, though officials said the precise cause would be known only after a detailed probe.
Overnight Rescue Effort
Authorities said the two men had launched from the Bir-Billing flying site before their paragliders crashed separately in difficult terrain near the peak. Information about the incident reached officials late in the evening, prompting a large-scale response.
The District Disaster Management Authority, State Disaster Response Force, police and local teams began the operation at around 9 pm. Rescue personnel worked through the night across the remote Dhauladhar slopes, concentrating on pinpointing the crash location, maintaining communication links and coordinating manpower and equipment.
The operation ended at about 10 am on Monday. While Purdie was rescued without injuries, Gavrilichenko was found dead, as reported by The New Indian Express.
Probe Under Way
Police said Gavrilichenko had entered India on October 7 on a tourist visa. His body was moved to the mortuary of Zonal Hospital in Dharamshala, where a post-mortem examination will be conducted. Officials said the required legal procedures were being completed.
The accident has once again highlighted the risks posed by rapidly changing weather in one of the country’s best-known paragliding destinations.
Earlier the same day, rescuers brought two more foreign pilots to safety after they were stranded in the high-altitude Dhauladhar range. An Austrian paraglider spent four nights in the mountains, while a Polish pilot was stranded for two nights.