President Zourabichvili awards those who tragically died in Gudauri rescue operation with medal 'for civil sacrifices'
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, August 3, 2022
According to the decision, the President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili awarded those who died during the rescue operation in Gudauri with a medal "for civil sacrifices".
Zaza Loria, Dimitri Kaadze, Levan Chokheli, Andro Kujoshvili, Giorgi Margiani, Kakha Torchinava, Girgi Venetski, Ketevan Gulaghashvili were awarded for the highest civic responsibility and exemplary, selfless actions during the rescue operation.
"When civil servants sacrifice themselves to save someone else's life, the society can freely give them the qualification of heroism," Minister of Defense Juansher Burchuladze said this after arriving at the civil funeral of those who died as a result of the helicopter crash in Gudauri.
He expressed his condolences to the people of Georgia for the tragedy.
"I offer my condolences to the entire Georgian society, this is our tragedy," said Juansher Burchuladze.
On July 29, in Gudauri, during a paragliding flight, 2 persons fell on a rocky slope.
A helicopter belonging to the border police was involved in the rescue operation, which lost control and crashed.
There were 4 crew members on board the helicopter, as well as 2 rescuers from the emergency management service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and 2 doctors from the emergency coordination and emergency assistance center of the Ministry of Health.
All eight crew members on board died. As for the paragliders, one survived, and the other, a foreign tourist - died.
An investigation has been launched into the incident under Article 275 of the Criminal Code, which implies a violation of air transport operation rules.
