Missing for 10 days, Army help sought to trace Korean paraglider

Ravinder Sood

Palampur,  June 24

The district authorities today sought the help of the Army and pressed a helicopter to trace Korean paragliding pilot Li Bing, who has been missing in the Dhauladhars for the past 10 days.

Earlier, all efforts made by the locals and police to trace the missing pilot had yielded no results.

Bing had taken off from Billing but never returned to the landing point. He flew from Billing in strong thermal as the weather was also favourable. His glider was spotted in high hills near Dharman village of Chhota Bhangal after three days by local shepherds but he was not found near the glider.

Various rescue teams are scanning the hills but there is no whereabouts of the missing pilots.

Officials of the Korean Embassy have also been camping here. They visited the hotel at Bir where Bing was staying and made the inventory of his goods he had kept in the hotel.

A police team also conducted a search campaign in the Gunahad Nullah area. But the bad weather hit the search operation and the helicopter returned without any success.

Last year, Singaporean pilot Kok Chang died after his paraglider crash-landed in the Dhauladhars. His body was spotted in a dense forest. Two pilots, one Russian and Latvian, sustained serious injuries when their gliders crashed near Jhatingari in Mandi district and in Bundla hills of Palampur. Another missing pilot Jostewis was saved by a rescue team from high mountains.

The information, gathered by The Tribune, revealed that most pilots involved in the recent mishaps lacked experience and had incomplete documents. The failure on part of state agencies to check their equipment has made the matters worse. Many pilots lacked dual insurance cover which had been made mandatory by the government.

Had taken off from Billing

• Paragliding pilot Li Bing has been missing in the Dhauladhars for the past 10 days
• He had taken off from Billing but never returned to the landing point
• He flew from Billing in strong thermal as the weather was also favourable
• His glider was spotted in high hills near Dharman village of Chhota Bhangal after three days by local shepherds but he was not found
• Various rescue teams are scanning the hills but  in vain