A paragliding accident at the renowned Bir Billing site in Himachal Pradesh on Friday claimed the life of an experienced pilot but saved that of a tourist. The incident has sent shockwaves through the local community and has drawn attention to safety concerns at one of India’s most popular adventure tourism destinations. Tributes poured in for the pilot whose actions are credited with preventing a greater tragedy.
The fatal incident took place on Friday when Mohan Singh, a veteran with almost 15 years of experience, flew with a tourist from West Bengal in a tandem paraglider.
Who was Mohan Singh and what exactly happened?
Singh was a resident of Barshan village in the Mandi district and was around 35 years old. He had a lot of flying experience, including representing India at the Paragliding World Cup. The technical problem happened right after takeoff, making the paraglider unstable and crashing near the road below the launch site in Kangra district. He was badly hurt when he tried to control the broken glider and keep his passenger safe.
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Even though locals and the rescue team acted quickly, Singh succumbed to his injuries on the way to the hospital. The tourist, on the other hand, survived after getting medical assistance.
Singh’s selfless act shaped his final moments. When the wind suddenly changed and the glider lost lift, Singh kept his focus on the passenger’s safety. As per the other pilots, Singh’s actions were in line with his image for being calm, professional, and very dedicated to keeping passengers safe, as per a report by The Tribune.
Concerns raised about the safety of adventure sports
Singh was a resident of Barshan village in the Mandi district and was around 35 years old. He had a lot of flying experience, including representing India at the Paragliding World Cup. The technical problem happened right after takeoff, making the paraglider unstable and crashing near the road below the launch site in Kangra district. He was badly hurt when he tried to control the broken glider and keep his passenger safe.
Even though locals and the rescue team acted quickly, Singh succumbed to his injuries on the way to the hospital. The tourist, on the other hand, survived after getting medical assistance.
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Singh’s selfless act shaped his final moments. When the wind suddenly changed and the glider lost lift, Singh kept his focus on the passenger’s safety. As per the other pilots, Singh’s actions were in line with his image for being calm, professional, and very dedicated to keeping passengers safe, as per a report by The Tribune.
Concerns raised about the safety of adventure sports
The Bir Billing community is in shock, as he was a well-known and respected figure in the skies over Manali and Billing. As a sign of respect, the next day of the incident, all the paragliding activities at Bir-Billing were stopped, and hundreds of pilots came to offer their last respects.
Vinay Kumar, the District Tourism Development Officer, stated to PTI that they are going over all the paperwork and technical information related to the event. Officials are looking into whether the crash happened due to broken equipment, bad weather, or a mistake by a person. The event has raised the issue of safety rules and supervision in adventure sports.
Mohan Singh is survived by his wife and two young children and a brother who is also a paragliding pilot. His legacy is not only that he was a good pilot but also that he put someone’s life ahead of his own when it mattered most.
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