UK biker on expedition to Gangotri plunges 200 metres to his death

DEHRADUN: A 22-year-old British biker, who was with a four-member expedition team riding from Rishikesh to Gangotri, lost balance and fell into a deep gorge along with his bike in Nalupani area of Uttarakashi district. After a three-hour operation by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the local police, he was rescued but died on the way to hospital.
Ravindra Yadav, station officer, Dharasu, told TOI, “The four were on different motor-cycles. They had started the expedition from Rishikesh and were on their way to Gangotri Dham.” Around 7.30pm on Thursday, Victor James Fox lost control of his two-wheeler and fell into a 200-metre-deep gorge near Dharasu bend in Nalupani, about 30km from Uttarakashi.
With no help in sight at the spot, his three friends went ahead and informed policemen at Chinayalisaund about the accident and sought their assistance. On receiving the information, a team from Dharasu police station and personnel of SDRF along with rescue equipment rushed to the spot.
“We heard his cries for help and despite the cover of darkness, a sincere effort was made to rescue the British national. We could not even see Fox and our team worked hard to find him in the deep gorge,” Yadav said. After the rescue operation that lasted nearly three hours, the police personnel were successful in bringing him out of the gorge at about 10.30pm.
“Fox was rushed to the district hospital at Uttarakashi, where doctors declared him dead,” Yadav added.
A post-mortem was conducted on Friday, after which the victim’s body was brought to Himalayan Hospital at Jolly Grant, Dehradun. “On Saturday, Fox’s family members are expected to arrive in the state capital. They will take a call on the location where his last rites will be performed,” the police officer said.