Russian paraglider rescued in Himachal

SHIMLA - A Russian paraglider who went missing in the high mountains of Himachal Pradesh was rescued Monday, police said.

“Russian paraglider Dimitri, who went missing Sunday, was rescued safely this (Monday) morning from an altitude of more than 3,000 metres in Kangra district,” Mast Ram Thakur, a police officer posted at Baijnath near the site, told IANS.

He said police got information regarding the missing paraglider Sunday afternoon and immediately a rescue team was sent to locate him.

“The rescue team traced the missing Russian late Sunday evening. The pilot lost his way due to strong winds and crash-landed on the hills. He took off from Billing for Bir,” he said.

Last week, three Russian paragliders were injured when they lost their way due to strong winds and had to crash-land. Dimitri was among the injured paragliders.

Bir-Billing, about 300 km from Shimla, is considered one of the finest aero sports sites in the world.

The Himachal Pradesh Tourism and Civil Aviation Department (HPTCAD), the organiser of the annual pre-world cup paragliding championship at Bir-Billing, has decided not to hold its annual meet this year as it’s refurbishing the site.

A local association, Billing Paragliding Association, has decided to hold the meet on its own.

A large number of daredevils, especially from Russia, Britain and the US, have converged on the site to practise paragliding.

The HPTCAD has already said the local association is not following proper safety measures and is not registered with it.

An official spokesman for the HPTCAD said the Aero Club of India, the regulating body of paragliding sports, has also not allowed the association to hold the event.

“Holding of paragliding events at Bir-Billing is illegal. We will take action against the organisers of the event,” a spokesman said.