Russian paraglider pilot missing in Bir
Paragliding launch at Billing, India, October 2008. Photo: Ed Ewing
The Himalayan Open in Billing, Bir, India, has been cancelled following the death of a Russian pilot in the area, according to local news reports. Another pilot has been missing for a week.
According to the reports Russian pilot âElliyayudinâ died on 27 October while attempting to rescue a fellow pilot who had crashed while flying between Bir and Dharamsala. Elliyayudin was part of a ground-based pilot-organised rescue squad when he slipped and fell from a cliff.
The missing Russian pilot, Alexey Ashurov, 41, went missing on 23 October and has not been heard from since.
Reports from the Indo-Asian News Service list at least three other pilots who have crashed and been rescued.
The incidents provoked a strong reaction from the Himachel Pradesh state government, which clashed with the organisers of the Himalayan Open over the accidents and forced the closure of the main paragliding launch to free flying, according to Open organisers.
The state government accused Himalayan Open organisers of not following proper safety measures and not being registered with the Himachal Pradesh Tourism and Civil Aviation Department, which they said is a legal requirement of holding competition in the state.
Organisers in turn accused the state government of ânon cooperationâ.
Himalayan Open organiser Suresh Thakur is quoted in reports saying: âWe have decided to cancel the Himalayan Paragliding Open 2009 that was to start November 4.
“The decision in this regard was taken following the non-cooperation of the state government in holding the event.â
He added: âOur objective (to hold the event) was just to promote adventure tourism in the state. Since the government was not serious, we too decided to cancel it,â he said.
Some 140 pilots have registered to take part in the competition. The Open had been organised following the cancellation of the Pre-PWC event that was to have taken place in October.
An email from Himalayan Open organisers to registered pilots on 29 October read: “We are sincerely sorry to inform that due to âpolitical reasonsâ the state government has refused to support the Himalayan Paragliding Open 2009 – Pre-World Cup event and hence the organizers have no choice but to cancel the event.”
The email added: “The state government and the tourism department have even banned free-flying in Bir-Billing.”
Pilots in the area who know anything about the circumstances surrounding the missing pilot Alexey Ashurov are encouraged to leave their information on the comments form at the bottom of this story. Information will be passed on to the relevant authorities.
Likewise, if any pilot can add to or correct the facts in this report â which has been drawn from several news reports online and not from sources on the ground â please use the comments box below.
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November 3rd, 2009 at 2:18 pm
The Daily India has more on this story, dated 2 November: http://www.dailyindia.com/show/342217.php
Dharamshala, Nov 2: An Indian shepherd has helped find the body of a Russian paraglider who went missing while flying through Dhauladhar mountains in Himachal Pradesh.
Elliya Yudin had come to Bir Billing area in Kangra valley to participate in a paragliding competition.
On October 25, Yudin along with some other paragliders went on a rescue mission to find another missing paraglider. However, Yudin reportedly fell down and went missing.
Police teams who went to find Yudin were unable to get details of his whereabouts.
Shyam, a local shepherd who knew the topography of the region volunteered to join the rescue operations.
Shyam trekked for around 21-kms before recovering the body from a narrow gorge.
” He went along with four-five people and they retrieved the body successfully and this body is handed over to police now,” said Sanjeev Gandhi, Additional Superintendent of Police, Kangra.
“It was difficult to reach there and find the body. But I thought since the authorities are finding it hard to find the body I should help. He was a foreign guest. I wanted that the body of the person should reach his kin,” Shyam said.
November 8th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
Most of news sources are repeatedly referring to the missing, injured or dead pilots as competitors, which is incorrect. None of the recent accidents were connected to any type of comps, and no comps were held in the area in this period. Supposedly, this version has been coined by the Indian authorities in order to justify their refusal to assist rescue and the decision to cancel Himalayan Open.
The information that Ilia Yudin went missing is also incorrect. His body had been discovered the same day he died after falling from the cliff. He was found by the Russian rescue team that was accompanying the Russian pilot who had crash-landed at 3500m ASL the day before. Ilia, an experienced mounteneer from Irkutsk, had been a member of the rescue team. As there were enough people to assist the injured pilot to go down, Ilia had rushed alone down to the valley, as he had to leave home that day. It is most likely that he has sliped of a rock and fell to his death. The group that has discovered him could not recover the body as it was in a deep cavity.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
News of one rescue, but Ashurov still reported missing. Dated 11 Nov: http://www.samaylive.com/news/missing-paraglider-traced-in-himachal/667069.html
Palampur, (Himachal Pradesh): Rescue teams on Wednesday traced Ukrainian paraglider Igor, who had gone missing in the Kangra valley here six days ago, police said.
\This (Wednesday) morning Ukrainian paraglider Igor was traced and rescued safely from Bandla hills in Kangra district. A special helicopter hired by his family was used to rescue him,\ Deputy Superintendent of Police Rakesh Singh told.
He said the paraglider had been airlifted to New Delhi.
Igor, 48, took off from Billing, near here, for Bir and lost his way due to strong winds and went missing Nov 5.
Earlier, Russian paraglider Alexey Ashurov went missing while practising here Oct 23. He has still not been traced.
Bir-Billing, about 300 km from state capital Shimla, is considered one of the finest aero sports sites in the world.
November 24th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Eddie Colfox, British pilot and paraguide who works in Bir, has posted a summary of the season in Bir on pgforum.com: http://www.paraglidingforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=28027
The BBC’s Andrew Craig reported on Alexey’s disappearance for the World Service. It is about 15 minutes in on this link: http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/fooc/fooc_20091119-0200a.mp3
XCmag is interviewing several of the Russian pilots involved and will feature more on this story in issue XC127
January 26th, 2010 at 7:20 pm
[...] Russian paraglider pilot missing in Bir âą Got news? Send it to us at [...]
January 28th, 2010 at 10:31 am
no one knows !
I guess now this is where it comes national topic. what is everyone doing, friends Russian officials, well Indian’s, foreigners used to call us @@@@@ so not even single expectations, huh. ! I guess he might be with GPS,
mobile phone why didn’t he got tracked by now!
Pakistan border is 97.42KMS what if he landed in Pakistan and got arrested !
well I even don’t wanna discuses the third one its even worse w.r.t. wild life.
February 14th, 2010 at 5:39 pm
Eddie Colfox has blogged and published photos from the rescue of one pilot in Bir.
http://himalayanskysafaris.blogspot.com/2010/02/enforced-vol-biv.html
January 27th, 2011 at 3:49 pm
[...] during the season of despair in Bir in October 2009 when several pilots crashed badly, two died and the government stepped in and [...]