A Russian paraglider, identified as Alexey, 48, got entangled in high-tension electricity wires near Tandu in Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh, on Monday afternoon, 10 November 2026, and was left hanging nearly 100 metres above the ground.
He had taken off from Bir Billing, the paragliding site in Kangra district, earlier in the day on a solo flight. After getting trapped, he contacted Bir Billing Paragliding Association officials by phone.
A three-hour crane-assisted rescue was carried out jointly by the National Highways Authority of India, the State Disaster Response Force, the National Disaster Response Force and Gawar Construction Company. The electricity supply was snapped to save the pilot.
He was safely brought down and taken to the Zonal Hospital in Mandi. His condition is stable, according to Mandi Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan and SDM Chander Prakash.
The height question
Reports differ on the exact height and duration of the rescue. NDTV puts the height at nearly 100 metres, while another report puts it at about 150 metres and the rescue at about two-and-a-half hours. This article follows the NDTV account of around 100 metres and about three hours, and does not state a single exact height as certain.
Bir Billing is one of the best-known paragliding sites in India, and solo flights from the site are common. The rescue required coordination between highway, disaster response and construction teams, along with the power supply being cut to the wires.
The pilot's quick call to the paragliding association after getting trapped helped rescuers locate him and plan the crane operation.
For now, the pilot is recovering in hospital in stable condition, and the incident is a reminder of the risks of solo paragliding flights in the hills.
