A paraglider was rescued safely after remaining suspended from high-tension power lines about 150 metres above the ground for nearly two-and-a-half hours in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district on Tuesday, prompting an emergency operation involving the administration, police and State Disaster Response Force personnel.
The pilot became entangled in the power lines along the Pathankot-Mandi highway near Mehar village, around five kilometres from Mandi town, in the afternoon. Other paragliders alerted the administration after noticing the incident, following which the electricity supply to the lines was switched off, an official said.
Mandi Sub-Divisional Magistrate and police officials reached the spot, but the height and location of the stranded pilot made the rescue difficult. The administration arranged a 146-metre hydraulic crane to access the power lines and bring the pilot down.
An SDRF personnel used the crane’s basket to reach the paraglider. The pilot was then brought safely to the ground, according to the report. The operation required coordination between the local administration, police, disaster-response personnel and the electricity authorities responsible for switching off the power supply.
The incident also affected traffic movement on the highway. Heavy vehicles were stopped while the crane was assembled and the rescue operation was carried out near the power lines. People who gathered at the site spread a tarpaulin and placed mattresses on the ground below the stranded pilot as a precaution in case he fell during the operation.
The rescue highlights the operational challenges of responding to emergencies involving high-voltage infrastructure at considerable height. The administration had to secure the electricity supply, arrange equipment capable of reaching 146 metres and manage the nearby highway while personnel attempted to access the pilot.
The report did not provide details about the paraglider’s identity, the cause of the entanglement or whether anyone else was injured. It also did not state how long the highway restrictions continued after the rescue. The pilot was reported to have been brought down safely, with the operation concluding after the administration deployed the hydraulic crane and SDRF personnel.
