Andy Pag reports from Nepal
The candlelit memorial service for Premek in Nepal. Photo: Stan Radzikowski / Facebook
Premek Hulek, one of the three pilots flying on a Trans-Nepal vol-biv expedition, met with a fatal accident on the 13 March 2014. His death has sent shockwaves through the tight-knit paragliding community in Pokhara, where Hulek was a well loved and respected professional tandem pilot.
No one knows the precise details of the accident because Hulek was on his own when it occurred, but expedition team mate Mitch Riley was on the same ridge and reached the scene soon afterwards. The pair had been separated during their five-hour hike from the valley floor and had found different take off areas. Villagers working on the ridge found Riley and made him aware that Hulek was injured out of sight.
When Riley, an experienced first responder, found Hulek he was unconscious and badly injured but alive. Riley worked to stem bleeding, but Hulek who had initially had a faint pulse, soon stopped breathing and Riley administered CPR while phoning for help.
Eventually the phone message and co-ordinates got through to Nando Martinez, who was supporting the expedition team from Pokhara. Martinez rushed to Pokhara Airport and prepared a helicopter. They took off soon afterwards and the pilot zeroed in on Hulek’s Spot tracker which Riley had activated 50km west of the town.
By then the wind on the ridge had mellowed, and Hulek was flown direct to Manipal hospital in Pokhara where doctors pronounced him dead.
Hulek’s Flymaster was registering points every five seconds and his tracklog shows only two points suggesting his Niviuk Peak 3 took a big collapse straight after launching. Riley noted that strong cycles on the hill were ramping on and off, and Hulek was only wearing one glove. One theory is that Hulek was plucked off the ground as he did his final preparations, but Riley also points out that the glove could have come off as a result of the impact.
A memorial was held in Pokhara two days after the accident, where friends paid tribute to Hulek’s decade of flying achievements, as well as his calm and fair demeanour, and positive attitude to life.
“He died living the life he wanted” said one mourner. Brian Thibeault, the third member of the Trans-Nepal expedition, and Riley both attested to how happy Hulek had been during his last days. A picture of Hulek from the expedition currently adorns the banner on www.nepalxc.org.
The condolence book from the memorial ceremony has been delivered to his family and his funeral will be held on Thursday 27 March in the Czech Republic. Friends can leave condolences on his Facebook page.
• Got news? Send it to us at news@xccontent.local
