Missing Polish paraglider's body in Himachal's Kangra found, airlifted
Nov 02, 2023
Kangra (Himachal Pradesh) [India], November 2 : A joint team by the Indian Air Force and the mountaineering institute airlifted the body of a Polish paraglider on Thursday, almost 10 days after he went missing in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra Valley on October 23.
According to officials, a sortie and search operation was conducted and the paraglider's body was initially spotted on Tuesday. However, challenging terrain and cliffs made it impossible to retrieve the body.
On Thursday, a dedicated rescue team and two helicopters were deployed to airlift the paraglider's body to Dharamshala.
Kangra Superintendent of Police, Shalini Agnihotri, said that the paraglider's body has been taken to Dharamshala zonal hospital for post-mortem examination and would be later handed over to his family.
The missing paraglider, 74-year-old Andrzej Kulawik from Poland, had taken off from Bir village with three others on October 23.
Following a complaint, police teams had initiated a search for the missing paraglider.
"We received a complaint about a Polish paraglider who took off Bir along with three friends towards the Kareri Shahpur area and has been missing since last Monday. He was last sighted near the Dharamshala Kareri area. Three other people who were gliding with him are safe," SP Shalini Agnihotri said on Thursday.
This is the third paragliding-related fatality in the region reported in recent weeks. The body of a Russian paraglider, Stoiko (62), was recovered on October 27, and a 29-year-old trainee pilot, Abhiyuday Verma from Lucknow, lost his life in a crash landing on October 21.
