DHARAMSALA: In a tragic paragliding accident on Sunday afternoon, a 25-year-old tourist from Gujarat lost his life while a local pilot sustained serious injuries in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.
The incident occurred around 3:00 PM when the tourist, identified as Satish Bhai, son of Rajesh Bhai and a resident of Rohit Bass Girmatha in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, was on a tandem paragliding flight with pilot Suraj, son of Sansar Chand of Tau village near Dharamshala.
According to initial reports, the glider reportedly lost balance shortly after takeoff and plunged into a 30-foot-deep gorge. Both individuals were rushed to Tanda Medical College after receiving preliminary treatment, but Satish succumbed to severe head injuries during treatment. The pilot remains hospitalized with serious injuries.
ASP Kangra Hitesh Lakhanpal said the police were informed about the accident around 4:00 PM. A formal investigation is underway to ascertain the exact cause of the crash and to determine whether safety protocols were violated.
District Tourism Officer Vinay Dhiman termed the accident “extremely unfortunate” and emphasized that flying from unauthorized takeoff points is both illegal and dangerous. “Using unauthorized sites not only violates regulations but also puts lives at grave risk, ” he said.
Preliminary findings suggest that the glider may have slipped from the takeoff site, leading to the fatal fall. The role of lax monitoring and inadequate enforcement of safety norms by local authorities is also being scrutinized in the wake of this incident.
Notably, this is not the first fatal accident in the region. In January this year, a 19-year-old girl died in a similar mishap at the Indrunag paragliding site. That tragedy prompted a review and tightening of safety procedures under the chairmanship of the SDM Dharamshala before operations were allowed to resume.
Ironically, Sunday’s incident occurred just two days before paragliding activities were scheduled to be suspended from July 15 due to the onset of the monsoon season.
ASP Kangra Aditi Singh confirmed that a thorough investigation is being conducted and assured that strict legal action will be taken against those found guilty of negligence or safety violations.