Polish paraglider stranded in Kangra rescued as weather conditions disrupt World Paragliding Championships

A Polish paraglider, stranded in the Dhauladhar hills in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district after a mid-air collision with another paraglider on Sunday, was rescued safely on Tuesday, officials said.

A paraglider got stuck in the Dhauladhar Hills on Sunday after colliding with another paraglider in mid-air. An attempt to rescue him on Monday using a helicopter failed due to rough terrain.

“Free paraglider from Poland Andrew Babinski was airlifted safely and admitted to Vivekananda Hospital in Palampur,” Baijnath Subdivisional Magistrate (SDM) DC Thakur said.

Babinski suffered serious injuries but is not in any danger, he added.

Meanwhile, the task for paragliders at the World Paragliding Championship 2024, which was held at Bir Billing in Kangra district on Tuesday, was canceled due to unfavorable weather conditions.

The technical committee initially set the course for Tuesday at 148 kilometers, and all pilots successfully took off from Billing on time. However, poor visibility and adverse weather conditions forced organizers to withdraw the pilots, putting their safety first, organizers said.

All participants landed safely at the designated landing site in Bir and Tuesday’s mission was subsequently cancelled, according to a Billing Paragliding Association spokesman.

The eight-day 2024 World Paragliding Championship began on November 2 and features 94 paragliders, including seven women, from 26 countries.

As part of security measures, two helicopters, seven medical teams with ambulances and six rescue and search teams led by experts from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering in Manali are ready for the event.

Last week, two foreign paragliders fell to their deaths in Himachal Pradesh.

Last Tuesday, a Belgian paraglider died after a mid-air collision with another paraglider in Bir Billing when his parachute failed to open after the collision.

On Wednesday, solo paraglider Dita Misurtsova (43) crashed into the mountains near Markha in Manali after she lost control of her glider due to strong winds.