A major accident was avoided in Gelderland, Netherlands, if not for a dozen or so residents. People aboard a hot air balloon were about to crash onto a cycling path after they suddenly lost altitude but the residents came to the rescue and stopped the balloon carrying about 12 passengers.
As evident from a video filmed in the municipality of Nijkerk in the central Dutch province of Gelderland, the hot air balloon was about to land on the cycling path of Corlaer College Secondary School. This is when onlookers came ahead and guided the basket away from the populated area.
The video was shared by the college, reported News Flash. The clip revealed that around a dozen bystanders were extending their hands beneath the balloon’s basket to stop it from touching the ground. The operator and 12 passengers were still on board and seemed worried.
Then the camera pans toward the huge inflated part of the vehicle which was getting entangled with the big trees on both sides of the path. The huge bulging part of the hot air balloon still remained high above the treeline, thereby giving one an idea of the massive size of the balloon. If the balloon got stuck in the branches, it could have caused an accident and would have been difficult to remove it from there.
While the residents held the basket from below, the operator can be seen trying to make the balloon stay in the air by applying thrust. The lane was pretty busy and a big crowd of pedestrians and cyclists that included several children can be seen congregating. The rescuers displayed bravery by upholding the balloon without wasting any time.
The report added that the balloonist was able to steer clear of the busy lane after this and the issue was resolved because they landed the balloon in a safe clearing. None of the passengers were injured.