E-Paper
Two foreign paragliders rescued after crash landing in Manali, Bir Billing
An Austrian paraglider was rescued in Himachal Pradesh after crash-landing. The 36-year-old was injured and taken to a hospital following the operation.
An Austrian paraglider was rescued on Sunday morning after he crash-landed near Rani Sui ridge above Manali in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh.
The 36-year-old solo paraglider, identified as Philipp Zellner, had taken off from Bir Billing three days ago, officials of the Billing Paragliding Association (BPA) said. They received information about his crash landing around 3 pm on Saturday, after which a rescue operation was launched. A chopper was called in for his retrieval from the high mountains. He was rescued in an injured state on Sunday morning and taken to a private hospital in Chandigarh.
Last month, a Canadian solo paraglider who had taken off from Bir Billing was found dead after crash-landing in the Dhauladhar mountain ranges in Kangra. Another Austrian paraglider was also rescued from the same ranges after taking off from Bir Billing.
BPA officials said that a 70-year-old Russian woman paraglider was also rescued on Saturday after she had crash-landed in the Dhauladhar mountain ranges on Friday. “A rescue team was sent immediately after receiving the information. The rescue efforts continued through the night. She was rescued and carried downhill on a stretcher after an eight-hour walk by the team,” said Suresh Thakur, founder member of the BPA. She was later taken to a hospital in Palampur as she had suffered an injury in her ankle.
Bir-Billing, renowned for its excellent thermals and scenery, attracts thousands of paragliding enthusiasts every year. Known as the paragliding capital of India, it ranks among the top sites in the world for the adventure spot.
