Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], October 23 (HBTV): A Canadian paraglider, Megan Elizabeth (27), was found dead on October 20 after her paraglider crash-landed in the snow-covered Dhauladhar mountain range near Dharamshala.
She had taken off from the Bir-Billing paragliding site on October 18. Her body was recovered during a rescue operation conducted jointly by the Indian Institute of Mountaineering, Dehradun, local climbers, and volunteers from the Bir Billing Paragliding Association (BPA).
The body was airlifted by helicopter. Additional Superintendent of Police Bir Bahadur told ANI that the body was handed over to her friends and cremated on October 21 after a post-mortem was conducted at Tanda Medical College, Kangra. The Canadian embassy was informed, and all legal procedures were followed.
Speaking to ANI, Bir Bahadur said the Billing Paragliding site comes under the jurisdiction of Police Station Bir. He explained that the Canadian paraglider had flown from the site on October 18 and, while passing over the Triund area in the Dhauladhar mountains above Dharamshala, her paraglider crashed.
‘Her body was lifted by helicopter on the 20th, and after a post-mortem at Tanda Medical College, it was handed over to her friends. The embassy and her family were informed. It was an accidental death, and all necessary legal proceedings are being carried out,’ he added.
A member of the rescue team was dropped from a helicopter in the high hills of the Dhauladhar range and recorded a short video during the operation. Megan Elizabeth was found dead in acute cold conditions, having sustained fatal injuries during the crash landing on a rocky surface at an altitude of 3,900 metres above sea level.
The Dhauladhar mountain range has witnessed several incidents involving foreign nationals in recent months, underscoring the risks of high-altitude adventure activities. Earlier, an Israeli national who went missing while trekking near Dharamshala was found seriously injured on June 15 and shifted to Tanda Hospital for treatment.
Additional Superintendent of Police Hitesh Lakhanpal told ANI, ‘The missing Israeli national has been found and is seriously injured. He is being moved to Tanda Hospital for medical treatment.’
The 44-year-old trekker, identified as Samuel Vengrinovich, had been missing since June 6. Lakhanpal said the trekker was reportedly heading towards a glacier near the Indrahar Pass trail, a high-altitude route in Himachal Pradesh.
The District Disaster Management Authority was informed about the missing trekker on June 9, after which the police formed search teams with the SDRF, local trekkers, and other support personnel. Despite harsh weather conditions hampering the operation, drones and coordinated efforts were used to trace the missing trekker.
‘Because of inclement weather, the search became a little difficult, but we used drones and tried to find the route he had taken. Even then, it took us some time to locate him,’ Lakhanpal said.
Multiple teams were involved in the operation, including members of the district administration, local trekking community, Israeli rescue team, Israeli nationals, and friends of the missing person. (ANI)