[ad_1]
Often described as the Mecca of paragliding, the Bir Billing in Himachal Pradesh, India, is popular with fans of the sport.
But the region is also a kill zone, with dozens of accidents recorded in recent years.
In 2016, three paragliders were killed in the space of 22 days, raising security concerns.
On Tuesday, Singaporean Ng Kok Choong became the latest victim in the region, barely two days after stopping his flight and warned other paragliders of bad weather.
Ng, 53, a former commando and retired real estate agent, was in Bir Billing to participate in the Paragliding World Cup, which begins Saturday.
On Monday, he took off around 11 am, but was unable to return after the wind speed suddenly increased in the snowy mountains of Dhauladhar.
<! – Mr. Ng's body was spotted Tuesday by rescuers in a helicopter, who were also looking for a paraglider from Spain gone since Sunday.
A rescuer had to get off the helicopter to reach Mr. Ng's body.
An autopsy showed yesterday that Mr. Ng had died as a result of a serious head injury.
At least three paragliders have also had accidents in the area in recent weeks.
Mr. Ng was in the news last month after rescuing victims of a magnitude 7.4 earthquake on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. (See the report below.)
Mr. Christopher Hsieh, secretary of the Singapore Air Sports Federation (AFS), said that they were in contact with the Indian authorities and Mr. Ng's family after his disappearance.
"Kok Choong joined our club two years ago and learned paragliding with an instructor in Indonesia," said Hsieh.
"One day before the accident, he shared that the conditions were very difficult and that many pilots had landed on trees.He made the right decision to abort his flight early and made his return in all security. "
He described Mr. Ng as someone who was always progressing, seeking knowledge without passing judgment.
"That's what I liked at home and I'm pretty sure others would agree with me," he said.
Mr Hsieh added that winds in the region are normally safe, but "sudden and unexpected climate changes" have recently been reported.
NOT A BEGINNER
"Is it because of climate change we do not know," he said. "Bir Billing is an advanced site and not for novice pilots.
"Mr. Ng was not a beginner."
Sharon, 52, and her eldest son, 28, arrived in India yesterday to arrange for her body to be brought home. The Ngs have another son, 26, and a 22-year-old daughter.
A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said the Singapore High Commission in New Delhi was in contact with the Indian authorities and was providing consular assistance to the family.
Ms. Ng, a teacher, said the family was still trying to cope with the tragedy.
<! – She told the Straits Times that her husband's friends had been optimistic about the possibility of finding him alive, a skilled paraglider.
"He loved the sky and dreamed of becoming a pilot before," she added. "Like an eagle hovering in the sky.
"He said that the Earth is so beautiful from above."
Mr. Hsieh advises paragliders who intend to go to Bir Billing to train sufficiently in advance.
"The dangers are when the weather changes too quickly, of course, there are other factors, but I think it is a major factor," he said.
"There is a saying in aviation: takeoff is optional, landing is mandatory, and whenever something seems suboptimal, it is up to us to cancel the flight plans."
PARAGLIDERS SAVED MOTHER AND GIRL AT QUAKE
When a powerful earthquake shook Sulawesi last month, Mr. Ng Kok Choong, who had just left his hotel in Palu, was thrown to the ground.
After getting up, he and the Belgian paraglider François de Neuville returned to the hotel, where they found a woman and her young girl stuck in the rubble.
The duo, who was in Palu for a paragliding competition, tried to free the victims. New tremors force them to escape.
But with the cries of the victims echoing in their ears, they knew that they could not abandon the mother and the child.
"So we came back again, it was chaos," Ng told The Straits Times of his experience of the earthquake and tsunami that followed, which killed 1,200 people in the area. Indonesian island.
<! – Ng, whose body was found Tuesday following a paragliding accident in India, said that when large waves approached the shore, they managed to free the girl.
M. de Neuville took him above.
Mr. Ng, who tried unsuccessfully to lift the concrete block that traps the mother, stayed with her for several hours until the rescuers arrived to release her and take her to the hospital. ;hospital.
Mr. de Neuville told ST yesterday that Mr. Ng's courage had deeply impressed him.
"KC was a great man and inspired me," said the 29-year-old, referring to Mr. Ng under his nickname.
"I was about to join him in India to catch the plane, and I was really looking forward to seeing him because we had shared that bond after surviving the disaster.
"It breaks my heart to know he's gone, I'm going to miss him a lot."
This article was first published in The New Paper. Permission required for reproduction.
Source link
