Paragliders Trapped in HT Line at Tando in Mandi

Mandi, November 10

A rescue operation was necessitated after paragliders reportedly got trapped in a high-tension electricity transmission line at Tando in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh.

The incident raised concerns over the safety of adventure sports activities in the region, particularly the risks associated with flying close to electricity transmission infrastructure.

A Russian national, identified as Alexey, was trapped in the high-voltage transmission wires at an estimated height of 150–200 feet above the ground. He had taken off from the famous Bir Billing paragliding site in Kangra district earlier in the afternoon and was flying towards Mandi when the incident occurred. The circumstances leading to the paraglider getting entangled in the wires were not immediately known.

According to Mandi Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan, the administration received information about the incident at around 2.30 pm. Multiple rescue teams, including personnel of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), were mobilised to evacuate the stranded pilot. The electricity supply to the affected transmission line was switched off as a precautionary measure before rescue personnel approached him.

The rescue operation proved challenging because of the considerable height and the danger posed by the high-voltage wires. Local residents also spread tarpaulins and mattresses beneath the suspended paraglider as a precaution against a possible fall.

The administration arranged heavy machinery, including a crane, to reach the pilot. Personnel from the SDRF, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), fire services and police, along with other agencies, participated in the operation. An Air Force helicopter was also requisitioned as a contingency measure but was not required after the ground rescue teams succeeded in bringing him down safely.

After nearly three hours of sustained efforts, the Russian pilot was safely rescued and taken to the Zonal Hospital in Mandi for medical examination and treatment. Traffic on the Mandi-Padhar highway was also affected during the operation, with restrictions imposed to facilitate the movement of rescue machinery.

The incident once again brings into focus the safety challenges confronting paragliding pilots flying across the mountainous terrain of Himachal Pradesh, particularly where flight paths intersect with high-voltage electricity transmission corridors.

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