Skiers survive chopper crash in Kashmir, return safely

SRINAGAR: Three French skiers who were reported missing on Friday have returned safely after miraculously surviving a chopper crash on the upper reaches of Dachigam National Park on the outskirts of Srinagar.

Led by world famous heli-skier Sylvan Sudain, the French skiers, after surviving the crash, used their ski gear to come down to Dachigam during the early hours on Saturday.

The Romanian pilot identified as Lucyan, who too survived the crash, is however still stranded at the accident site and efforts are afoot to airlift him to Srinagar.

The skiers, who included Sudain, Daine Schlegal, Julian Escobas and the pilot, spent the night in sub-zero temperatures on the Dachigam upper reaches.

"They were provided medical aid by the Central Reserve Police Force in the Dachigam Park," said Farooq Ahmad, director of tourism, Jammu and Kashmir.

The chopper carrying the French heli-skiers went missing Friday morning immediately after it took off from here for Gund near the famous mountain resort of Sonamarg in north Kashmir.

Police search parties and Indian force helicopters launched a search and rescue mission but couldn't locate the missing chopper and the skiers on Friday.

Sudain has been bringing groups of heli-skiers from Europe and other countries to Kashmir for the past 19 years.