A paragliding flight that began at Bir-Billing ended in tragedy near Dharamsala. A 47-year-old Bulgarian pilot was killed and a 63-year-old British pilot was rescued after their gliders crashed near Rising Star Peak, overlooking the Yol area. The two pilots had taken off from Bir-Billing on Sunday, and their flight ended in an accident reportedly amid strong winds.
The deceased has been identified as Maksim Valentinovich Gavrilichenko, a Bulgarian national. The rescued pilot is Stephen Antony Purdie, a British citizen.
Dharamsala Paragliding Crash: How the Rescue Unfolded
The body of the Bulgarian pilot was recovered on Monday morning after an overnight search operation. The search involved the police, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the local Him Sansar rescue team. The recovery came only after teams worked through the night to reach the crash site near Rising Star Peak.
Kangra SP Kulbhushan Verma said the police were completing the necessary legal formalities in the case. The circumstances that led to the crash are still being looked into, with strong winds reported at the time of the accident.
Bir-Billing to Rising Star Peak: What We Know About the Flight
Bir-Billing is the take-off point for the two pilots' flight. The accident took place near Rising Star Peak, in the Yol area that overlooks Dharamsala. Both pilots were on the same flight that ended in the crash.
- One pilot died — Maksim Valentinovich Gavrilichenko, 47, from Bulgaria
- One pilot survived and was rescued — Stephen Antony Purdie, 63, from Britain
- The search and recovery took an overnight operation by police, SDRF and the Him Sansar rescue team
- Strong winds are reported to have played a role in the crash
Our Take: A Reminder of the Risks in Himachal's Paragliding Hub
This is a tragic outcome for two experienced pilots who set out from one of India's best-known paragliding sites. One family has lost a loved one, and another pilot has survived a serious crash. In our view, the focus now should be on two things: a clear investigation into what went wrong near Rising Star Peak, and a hard look at whether weather warnings and flight checks at Bir-Billing are strong enough.
Strong winds are a known danger in this region, and when they are reported around the time of a crash, the question of whether the flight should have gone ahead deserves a straight answer. To put it plainly, adventure tourism in Himachal brings income and thrill, but safety systems must keep pace. The police have said legal formalities are underway. Readers should watch for the findings of that inquiry — not just for this case, but for every pilot who takes off from Bir-Billing.
Sources & References
This report is based on the original news story of the crash near Rising Star Peak in Dharamsala, including details from Kangra SP Kulbhushan Verma and the rescue operation by police, the SDRF and the Him Sansar rescue team.