A hot air balloon made a dramatic landing in the middle of a street in Bedford on Saturday in front of shocked residents.
Sam Coldham said he saw the balloon descending in Bower Street in the east of England town at about 9.30am, while he was out walking the dog with his partner, Sian King.
Footage taken by King shows the balloon trying to land in a residential street between parked cars, telegraph poles and wires.
In the video, several bystanders can be seen rushing to help. They grab on to the guide rope to help lower the balloon to a safe spot, helping it to avoid crashing into houses or parked cars.
Georgia Balać, whose partner assisted with the landing using an emergency line thrown down by the pilot, told the Bedford Independent: “It was extraordinary. It came down quickly and uncontrollably, very nearly missing the terraced houses and pylons.
“It made a near-perfect landing between parked cars on either side.”
The British Balloon and Airship Club confirmed to the BBC it “landed without incident” and everyone was OK.
Only 98 incidents involving hot air balloons occurred in the UK between 1976 and 2004, according to a report by ScienceDirect.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is the independent aviation regulator in the UK. All ballooning operations must comply with strict CAA regulations to ensure optimal safety for passengers and crew members.
One of the main requirements for commercial balloonists is a commercial balloon pilot licence.
In April, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said it was investigating after receiving a report about a collision in Essex caused by a malfunction with a hot air balloon’s aircraft’s envelope – the large, airtight, balloon-shaped bag where the hot air goes.
