• Jessica Courtney crash-landed near Rush Lake at 4,694m
• Army Aviation helicopter airlifts her to Gilgit, later to Skardu
GILGIT: An injured American paraglider was airlifted by a Pakistan Army Aviation helicopter from Rush Lake, situated at an altitude of 4,694 metres in Nagar.
Two paragliders, American national Jessica Courtney Green, 40, and Australian national Shane Owen Tighe, 35, had taken off from Karimabad, Hunza, on Saturday.
According to local police, both paragliders had planned to land at Rush Lake, about 50 kilometres from Karimabad. However, the American paraglider was forced to make a crash-landing. She sustained injuries to her leg, though her condition was initially stated to be stable.
Sources said she had also suffered broken ribs and an ankle injury and was found unconscious. Using a satellite phone, her fellow paraglider informed a friend about the situation, who then sought urgent rescue assistance from local people. Volunteers from Hoper Valley reached the incident site on Sunday and managed to rescue the injured paraglider, taking her to some distance.
The volunteers stayed overnight in camp, providing food and first aid. On Monday morning, a Pakistan Army Aviation helicopter airlifted the injured American paraglider to Gilgit and later to Skardu. From there, she was shifted to Islamabad on a chartered flight the same day.
Rush Lake is among the world’s highest alpine lakes, located about 15 km north of Miar Peak and Spantik. Tourists usually trek from Hoper Valley, crossing Hoper Glacier and Miar Glacier, to reach the site.
Rakaposhi expedition
Meanwhile, two American climbers — Dane Christensen and Craig Orion Lutwyler — have begun an expedition to summit the 7788m Rakaposhi.
According to GB tourism department, both climbers have been issued permits. From Rakaposhi base camp, they started their climbing on Monday. They are being assisted by two local high-altitude porters. The American climbers plan to complete the mission in a month.
Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2025
