Mumbai: The army, on Sunday, recovered the body of Mumbai trekker Richard Joseph Kher, who fell into a gorge while attempting to climb a peak in Lahaul and Spiti in Himachal Pradesh.
The 32-year-old had fallen down into a 250-metre deep gorge, while attempting to climb Kistel peak in Lahual and Spiti on August 29. After over a week's time, he was traced by the army as lying still on a nearby ridge earlier on Sunday.
Official statement from Richard's parents Judith and Brij Kher said, "The Army of Pathankot & Gulmarg, the Air force division and all allied forces have worked tirelessly to retrieve Richard. He is out of the gorge. We regret to inform our son is no more."
The army team located Richard through an aerial survey, near Castle Peak. 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.
Richard, an ardent trekker and mountaineering enthusiast, works in Pest Control of India and is also pursuing his PhD from Mumbai University. He 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.
The mishap was on Miyar-Jaskal track, which is famous with both domestic and foreign trekkers.
