Tragic Incident in Melbourne Involving Hot Air Balloon
On Monday (Mar 18) morning, a tragic incident occurred in the Australian city of Melbourne involving a hot-air balloon, resulting in the death of a man who fell out of the aircraft.
Details of the Incident
- The hot air balloon was reportedly more than 450 meters off the ground and 30 minutes into the flight when the man fell over the side of the basket above the city.
- Emergency services responded to the incident on Albert Street in Preston, where the man’s body was discovered around 7:30 am (local time).
- The circumstances surrounding the man’s death are not considered suspicious, and investigations are ongoing.
Response and Support
The passengers and pilot onboard the hot air balloon were deeply affected by the tragedy, and counselling and psychological support are being provided to help them cope with the incident.
The National Commercial Hot Air Ballooning Industry and the Australian Ballooning Federation have expressed their condolences to the man’s family and friends.
Investigations and Safety Measures
The incident is under investigation by WorkSafe Victoria, the Air Transport Safety Bureau, and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to determine the cause and prevent future occurrences.
While emergency landings of hot air balloons are not uncommon in Melbourne, they rarely result in fatalities.
In a separate incident in 2022, a hot air balloon made an emergency landing in Elwood, resulting in minor injuries to three passengers due to a faulty balloon.
