Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
A 47-year-old Bulgarian paraglider died in an accident near Rising Star Peak in Himachal Pradesh’s Dharamshala on Sunday, while a 63-year-old British pilot flying with him was rescued safely on Monday morning. The accident occurred in the Khaniyara-Yol area of Kangra district after the two took off from Bir-Billing for a paragliding flight.
Preliminary information suggests that strong winds caused the accident. The rescue operation, involving local police, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the Him Sansar rescue team, continued through the night before the two pilots were located.
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The victim is identified as Maxim Valentinovich Gavrilichenko, who arrived in India on a tourist visa on October 7. The British pilot was identified as Stephen Antony Purdy.
According to the police and district administration, information about the accident was received between 3 pm and 3.30 pm on Sunday. A joint rescue operation was subsequently launched, with teams heading towards the accident site around 9 pm. The search continued through the night and was completed at around 10 am on Monday.
While Maxim died in the accident, Purdy was rescued safely. The Bulgarian national’s body has been kept in the mortuary of the Zonal Hospital in Dharamshala for a post-mortem examination.
POLICE PROBE UNDERWAY
Confirming the incident, senior cop Kulbhushan Verma said the police were completing the necessary legal formalities.
Verma said Maxim had arrived in India on a tourist visa on October 7, 2026, and was undertaking a solo paragliding flight with his friend when the accident occurred.
He said the accident had once again raised concerns about the safety of paragliding flights amid changing weather conditions and strong winds. The district administration earlier advised pilots against flying in adverse weather, but tourists continue to put themselves at risk by disregarding these instructions, he added.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
