We are shocked to hear the news of an international paraglider dying after a mid-air collision with another paragliding pilot in Himachal Pradesh’s Bir Billing. The tragic incident occurred on Tuesday in the Kangra district. The alarming news scared many people, especially before the much-awaited Paragliding World Cup 2024 scheduled to take place between November 2 and 9.
A Solo Belgian Paraglider Died In Bir Billing After Taking Off
The Belgian paraglider met with the unexpected accident after taking off. He crashed with another solo pilot mid-air and horribly landed. Identified as Patrice Feyaerts, the deceased paraglider was a resident of Belgium. According to a report by Hindustan Times, the second paraglider involved in this accident is from Poland. He suffered injuries following the terrible crash in the air.
Patrice was in his 60s and visited Bir Billing for the Paragliding World Cup 2024. He was practising for the major tournament taking place in the next couple of days. Both the free fliers took off and were paragliding at about 1 PM when the life-threatening mishap took place. Soon, the local police department took action to rescue them. Some residents living nearby assisted the police to track them down.
According to a report by The Hindu, the solo pilots departed separately and were paragliding on their own when they collided in air. Patrice crashed into the dense forest of Bir Billing and lost his life. On the other hand, the Polish pilot got intertwined with some trees and sustained injuries. Though police were able to rescue him, they still have not found Feyaerts’s deceased body.
Similar Alarming Incidents Were Reported Recently In Himachal Pradesh
Bir Billing in Himachal Pradesh is renowned globally for paragliding. Many adventure buffs visit here every year to experience the adrenaline rush of this thrilling sport. It was on October 23 when a paraglider from Poland died tragically in this place. Also, three international paragliders were found stranded in the Kullu district. The concerned departments rescued them from the mountains.
We are sorry to hear these tragic incidents. Sending condolences to deceased paragliders’ families.
Cover Image Courtesy: Canva
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