Paraglider trapped in power lines 150m up in India rescue

A paragliding flight over the mountains of northern India ended in a three-hour ordeal this week when a Russian pilot's parachute became entangled in high-voltage power lines, leaving him suspended more than 100 metres above the ground. The rescue operation, which involved cutting power to the area and deploying a massive hydraulic crane, ended with the pilot brought down safely.

The incident took place on Tuesday near the village of Mahar in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh state. The pilot, a 48-year-old Russian national named Alexei, had taken off from the Bir Billing paragliding site in neighbouring Kangra district. During the flight, he became caught in high-voltage power lines running along the Pathankot-Mandi highway, and his parachute snagged on the cables. Within moments, he found himself hanging at an enormous height with no way to free himself.

Trapped in power lines: paraglider caught 150 metres above ground in India (Photo: Social media)

According to reports in India, the pilot managed to use his mobile phone to send photographs and his location to the local paragliding association. Following the alert, rescue teams and emergency services from the district were called in and began preparing for an exceptionally complex extraction operation.

The danger was twofold: on one hand, the pilot was suspended at a great height above the ground; on the other, the high-voltage power cables posed a real risk of electrocution. The electricity supply was cut off, and at the same time local residents who had gathered at the scene spread sheets and mattresses on the road below in an attempt to reduce the danger in case he fell.

Rescue teams struggled to reach the pilot because of the extreme height, and a massive hydraulic crane capable of reaching 146 metres was brought to the site. Teams from India's National Highways Authority, the State and National Disaster Response Force, and a local construction company took part in the operation.

At the critical stage, a rescuer was raised in the crane's basket to the point where the pilot was trapped, and after prolonged efforts they succeeded in bringing him down safely to the ground. The operation lasted around three hours, during which heavy vehicle traffic on the nearby highway was also restricted.

Miraculously, the pilot was extracted alive and without significant injuries. He was taken to the regional hospital in Mandi for medical checks.