Missing Singaporean paraglider found dead in Himachal

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, October 23

Singaporean paraglider Kok Chang (53), who went missing while paragliding in the Bir-Billing area of Himachal Pradesh on Monday, is dead.

Sources said Chang, an ex-commando in the Singapore army, was a free flyer. His body was spotted by a team deputed to locate another missing paraglider — Jos Lewis from Spain.

The Baijnath SDM said Chang’s body was lying in Big Area of Utrala region in Baijnath. When the rescue team reached there, he had already perished. The exact reason behind his death would only be known after the post-mortem report was received, he said.

Chang had come here to participate in the Paragliding World Cup to be held from October 27. Meanwhile, the administration today claimed that missing Spanish paraglider Jos Lewis has been spotted in Bandla hills, near Palampur. Food and clothes have been provided to him, but the rescue will be undertaken tomorrow.

Yesterday, the administration had maintained that Lewis was found trapped on a hill between Thumsar Pass and Bara Bhangal village.

Today, helicopters and para-motors were pressed into service to locate him in that area, but he was not found there. In the evening, he was spotted by a rescue team in Bandla hills.

Accidents over the past few days and Chang’s death have cast a shadow on the Paragliding World Cup being organised at Bir-Billing from October 27 to 30.

A Russian and a Latvian paraglider have also sustained injuries while paragliding in the Bir area recently. The Russian paraglider had got stuck in a tree in the Jatingri area. He was spotted by an Australian paraglider during a flight. 

World cup from 27th 

A large number of international paragliders have gathered in the Bir-Billing area for World Cup. All those flying from Billing these days are free flyers. Bir-Billing is among the top 10 paragliding sites in the world.