Terrifying moment hot air balloon crashes into Chinese lake and starts to SINK
Terrifying moment as hot air balloon crashes into Chinese lake, drags screaming tourists through the water and begins to SINK
- Balloon was part of a sightseeing ride to view cherry blossoms at a park in China
- It lost altitude shortly after takeoff because it failed to inflate and crashed into a lake
- None of the seven passengers were injured in the crash from 70 feet in the air
This is the terrifying moment when a hot air balloon full of tourists crashed into a lake and began to sink.
Horrified witnesses watched as the sightseeing drive to view cherry blossom trees at a park near the town of Anshun, Guizhou province, China, went horribly wrong.
The hot air balloon with seven people on board began to lose altitude shortly after takeoff from the Gui’an Cherry Garden when it appeared not to inflate properly.
Strong winds can be seen pounding the balloon almost as soon as it takes off.
A video captured by a bystander shows the flight suddenly taking a steep dive of almost 20 meters and plunging into a deep reservoir.
Horrified witnesses watched as the sightseeing drive to view cherry blossom trees at a park near the town of Anshun, Guizhou province, China went horribly wrong. The hot air balloon with seven people on board began to lose altitude shortly after takeoff from the Gui’an Cherry Garden when it appeared not to inflate properly
In the footage – later shared on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok – shocked witnesses scream as the balloon is dragged through the water by the wind. At one point it looks like the balloon’s basket will completely submerge, but the pilot used the gas burner to keep the balloon inflated and managed to avoid sinking
In the footage – later shared on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok – shocked witnesses scream as the balloon is dragged through the water by the wind.
At one point it looks like the balloon’s basket will completely submerge, but the pilot used the gas burner to keep the balloon inflated and managed to keep it from sinking.
Rescuers eventually arrive and pull the passengers – including a child – ashore.
Local media reported that no one was injured in the crash.
It has now emerged that the aircraft operators may not even have had a license to carry passengers.
The park suspended the sightseeing ride while they investigate the accident.
Similar hot air balloon accidents occurred around the world last year, such as an incident in Egypt where a hot air balloon carrying 28 Western tourists plummeted from 200 feet before crash landing and drifting off course, reportedly hitting another balloon in mid-air. touched air.
Two passengers were ‘slightly injured’ in the crash in July 2022 and had to be treated at a nearby hospital.
Strong winds can be seen pounding the balloon almost as soon as it takes off. A video captured by a bystander shows the flight suddenly taking a steep plunge nearly 80 feet (22 meters) in the air and plunging into a deep reservoir.
Another accident, this time in April last year in California, was shared by a passenger on TikTok.
The hot air balloon crashed into a field after the wind picked up as everyone on board shouted, “Hold on!” Despite the seriousness of the accident, no one was injured.
On the other side of the world in Melbourne, also in April last year, a hot air balloon carrying 13 passengers fell from the sky and crashed into a tree on a residential street.
Before the crash, the passengers were told to enter the ‘landing position’. No one was injured. The pilot said afterwards that one of the balloon’s flaps had malfunctioned, forcing it to make an emergency landing.