Teenager rescues 9 from hot air balloon
Print Edition
NINE people were plucked to safety from a hot air balloon in a dramatic water rescue carried out by a family on the Australian coast.
The passengers clambered out of the basket and onto the front of a boat that 18-year-old Jack Abbott and his father were using on their wakeboarding trip near Melbourne.
The teenager told a local broadcaster he sprang into action after seeing the balloon descending over the water, apparently unable to regain its altitude.
“Dad said, ‘you need to come in now, we’re going to get this hot air balloon,’” Abbott told Channel Nine.
Video footage showed the balloon’s basket descending onto the bow of the boat to allow passengers to climb off.
“The first lady was quite distressed when she came off, then we took it two passengers at a time to account for the weight ratio,” said Abbott.
Complicating the rescue was the fact that every time someone got out of the basket, the balloon got lighter and would lift off the boat.
All nine passengers emerged from their dramatic ordeal unscathed, but clearly relieved.
The balloon took off from a park on Saturday morning but was unable to land at its intended destination. Reports said a gust of wind had pushed it out over the water.
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