Ground Report

  The luck did not favour the missing Norwegian skier this time! Earlier, she had disappeared from the high mountains of Kashmir and was luckily rescued. But second time, when she again went missing from tourist sky resort of Gulmarg on January 8 this year, she was not so lucky to have a fresh lease of life. Her body was found on April 21, 2008, after 103 days of her disappearance.      Confirming the recovery of the body of the missing lady tourist Francesca Ronge, a police spokesman said that she had checked in at Hotel Green Heights Gulmarg in the afternoon of January 8, 2008 at 1430 hours. After a stay of 15 minutes in her hotel room where she dropped her baggage, she had immediately left for some unknown destination   never to return. Her body was found near Khi Khul spot behind a tourist hut in the same area , the spokesman said.    Francesca’s mysterious disappearance had sent shock waves among tourists and skiers putting up in Gulmarg, forcing the authorities to launch a massive search operation amid heavy snowfall on January 9 and January 10.        On the evening of January 8, 2008, Francesca was seen last time by another foreign tourist from Australia, Paul Stewart. She was that time wearing ski uniform and was on a ski mission amidst snow storm and hazy conditions.        Francesca had also gone missing last year in the same area while skiing on higher reaches of the ski-resort. She was that time trapped in an avalanche and had taken shelter in a snow cave near Sunshine Peak. After six days of her disappearance, she was finally back to life after  rescued by her fellow skiers.       This time too, everyone believed that she would come back as had happened last year. However, luck did not favour her second time despite frantic efforts by authorities to locate her. It was because of the high snowfall in the area this year that Francesca probably might have lost her way for ever. Police did not smell any foul into her death but the normal investigations will continue, the spokesman added.