The key facts

  • A Russian paraglider got stuck on high-voltage wires in the state of Himachal Pradesh at a height of about 45 metres
  • The electricity on the line was cut off, and the pilot was brought down using a crane or a hydraulic lift
  • Sources give differing estimates of the operation's duration: 2.5 hours or about three hours

A flight that ended on the wires

A Russian paraglider named Alexey got stuck on high-voltage power lines during a flight in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. He took off from Bir Billing — one of the most popular paragliding spots in India — and, due to an unsuccessful glide, became tangled in wires near the town of Mandi, ending up about 45 metres above the ground. This was reported by Gazeta.Ru citing NDTV and Life.ru citing The Times of India.

How the rescue operation unfolded

The authorities learned of the incident from the pilot himself and other paragliders: according to Gazeta.Ru, Alexey used his mobile phone to send photos and his location to the Bir Billing Paragliding Association, which passed the information on to the Mandi district administration; Life.ru specifies that other paragliders reported the incident to the local authorities. Police and rescuers arrived at the scene, the electricity supply to the section of the line was cut off, a protective tent was stretched out below and mattresses were laid out in case of a fall. The sources describe the evacuation method differently: Gazeta.Ru writes that the paraglider was brought down with the help of a crane and the tent was not needed, while Life.ru says a rescuer ascended to the pilot in the basket of a special hydraulic lift. During the operation, heavy traffic on the nearby highway was restricted.

How long the pilot hung on the wires

The outlets differ on the duration of the incident: Gazeta.Ru says about three hours, Life.ru — roughly two and a half hours. Life.ru also notes that Indian media give altitude estimates that differ from Mash's figure of 45 metres. There is no information about the athlete's condition after the rescue. Both outlets, citing Mash, recall that in 2016 and 2017 two Russian paragliders died at the same spot.