Stranded in Dhauladhars, Polish paraglider rescued

Polish paraglider Andrew Babinski, who was stranded in Dhauladhar mountains in Kangra district after a mid-air collision with another paraglider on Sunday, was rescued today, officials said.

The paraglider was stranded in the Dhauladhars after colliding with another paraglider mid-air on Sunday. The attempt to rescue him yesterday by using a chopper had failed due to a tough terrain.

“The free flier paraglider from Poland has been safely airlifted and admitted to the Vivekananda Hospital at Palampur,” Baijnath SDM DC Thakur said. Babinski sustained serious injuries but was out of danger, he added.

Meanwhile, the Tuesday task for paragliders in the Paragliding World Cup 2024 being organised in Bir- Billing in Kangra district was cancelled due to adverse weather conditions.

The technical committee had initially set a 148-km course for Tuesday and all paragliders had successfully taken off from Billing at the designated window time. However, deteriorating visibility and unfavourable weather conditions forced the organisers to call them back.

According to a spokesperson forthe Billing Paragliding Association, all participants landed safely at the designated Bir landing site and Tuesday’s task was subsequently cancelled.