ISLAMABAD: A search has been on for a French paraglider pilot who went missing in Pakistan’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, a local adventure club official said on Monday, with an army chopper and local volunteers taking part in the effort.
Savall Xavier Alain Francois flew along with two Spanish paragliders from a peak in Hunza district Saturday afternoon, according to local officials. While the Spaniards safely landed at a riverside in Ganish valley, there was no trace of Francois.
Local authorities on Sunday launched the search for the missing paraglider, constituting a team of rescuers and local volunteers.
“A search and rescue operation is under way with the help of army helicopter and local volunteers to find a French paraglider who went missing after a jump in Duikar village, Hunza, Gilgit Baltistan on Saturday,” Karrar Haidri, secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, said in a statement on Monday.
“French paraglider Savall Xavier took off with two Spanish paragliders.”
Gilgit-Baltistan, a sparsely populated region administered by Pakistan as an autonomous territory, is home to some of the highest peaks in the world and a major tourist destination. Hundreds of tourists visit the region each year for expeditions on various peaks, paragliding and other sports.
Francois and the other two paragliders reportedly arrived in Hunza late last month, where they were staying in a local hotel, Haidri said.