By Hannah Kennelly, Madeleine Heffernan and Najma Sambul
Victoria’s popular hot air balloon industry has been rocked by tragedy after a man fell to his death on Monday in Melbourne’s northern suburbs.
Emergency services were called to Albert Street in Preston, where a man’s body was found about 7.30am.
Hot air balloons flying over the Melbourne CBD in 2022.Credit: Getty
Police said the man was riding in a hot air balloon and his death was not being treated as suspicious.
Global Ballooning founder and pilot Kiff Saunders said he was flying another balloon with a basket of passengers early on Monday morning when he received a mayday call that a man had fallen from a balloon nearby.
He said he and other pilots flying in the area landed as soon as possible.
“The entire community is shattered by this event,” Saunders said.
“My heart goes out to the victim’s family, friends and the wider community.
“We conduct our flights with the uttermost joy and passion for what we do ... it is a lifestyle surrounded by celebration and happiness, and so to have such a situation occur is beyond comprehension.”
Saunders said flying nearby as the event unfolded was “highly distressing”, but he commended the pilots, ground crew and air traffic control for their professionalism.
To the best of his knowledge, it was the first time a tragedy of this nature had occurred in Australia, he said.
“This incident will have an incredible effect on our community. It’s just terrible. We will now be checking in on each other as we process the sadness we carry in our hearts today.”
The national commercial hot air ballooning industry and the Australian Ballooning Federation also expressed their condolences to the man’s family.
“Passengers and the pilot are understandably traumatised by this tragedy, and the operator is arranging psychological support and counselling for all affected,” they said in a joint statement.
“Hot air balloon baskets are designed with safety in mind, specifically to prevent passengers from falling out accidentally, or from any accidental exit.
“As this matter is now subject to investigations by Victoria Police, WorkSafe Victoria, Air Transport Safety Bureau and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, it is not appropriate to comment further.”
Victoria is home to eight of the country’s 23 registered hot air balloon businesses.
The companies fly everywhere from the MCG to Port Phillip Bay, and over golf courses in the Yarra Valley, the High Country and regional centres including Ballarat and Geelong.
This masthead contacted several hot air balloon companies and experts in the industry, but they declined to comment due to the sensitive circumstances of the man’s death.
Josh Powell-Fussell, who created the Blimp and Hot Air Balloon Fans Australia Facebook page – an online community for enthusiasts – said the tragedy left him deeply saddened.
Powell-Fussell, who has flown in hot air balloons all over Australia for decades, said ballooning had come a long way in terms of safety and flight duration.
“In the 1700s, they used to have papier-mache balloons with an actual fire, so we’ve definitely made some improvements since then,” he said.
“I think it’s important to remember that those pilots are so experienced – they often get up at 2am to look at the [conditions] and if they have any concerns regarding the weather or wind speed, then they cancel the flight.”
Hot air balloon fan Josh Powell-Fussell at the Hunter Valley Balloon Fiesta in 2017.
Powell-Fussell said the activity had also increased in popularity in recent years by word of mouth and photos being shared on social media.
“People see all these amazing photos on social media and they want to try and recreate those photos and see that perspective,” he said.
In Australia, pilots of hot air balloons are put through rigorous training before they can obtain their licence. Experts in the industry maintain it is one of the safest types of aircraft. Each year, balloons safely carry more than 250,000 people.
Commercial balloon pilots and companies are also registered with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, and companies must hold air operator certificates, which are renewed every three year following audits.
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