Army team locates Mumbai trekker lying still on a ridge near Castle Peak

Mumbai: Mumbai trekker Richard Joseph Kher, who fell down into a 250 metre deep gorge while attempting to climb Kistel peak in Lahual and Spiti on August 29, has finally been traced by the army as lying still on a ridge close by.

According to reports, the army has totally taken over the rescue mission. The army team located Richard through an aerial survey, near Castle Peak, who took fresh photographs of the site to study the terrain. The site where Richard fell is fell is 30 km ahead of Khanjar, the last inhabited village in the Miyar valley of the tribal district.

"But his chances of survival are almost bleak," reports quoted Udaipur sub-divisional magistrate Dr Amit Guleria as saying.

Richard did not follow the necessary safety precautions while climbing and the thickness of the ropes he used not meant for high-altitude climbing, the other trekkers said. They added that though it was warned that one not descend the rocks with ropes after 3pm in high altitude owing to strong winds, Richard and Sunny, his NRI friend who joined him on the trek, attempted to descend after 6 pm.

Meanwhile, Richard's parents Judith and Brij Kher are camping in Udaipur. The mishap was on Miyar-Jaskal track, which is famous with both domestic and foreign trekkers.