Hot air balloon crashes after hitting power line near Keasden (From Craven Herald)
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Hot air balloon crashes after hitting power line near Keasden
6:18am Thursday 9th August 2012 in News
Seventeen people escaped serious injury when a hot balloon struck a 11,000 volt power line and crashed to the ground just north of Keasden.
The balloon was six metres from the ground when the accident happened just after 8.35pm last night.
Fire crews from Bentham, Settle and Hornby, together with a heavy rescue unit from Tadcaster, rushed to the scene.
A fire and rescue service spokesman said: “They found that the balloon had struck and brought down the 11,000 volt powerline, with the underside of its basket. From there, at a height of approximately six metres, the balloon had then come to earth.
"Fortunately, the balloon's male pilot, together with nine male and seven female passengers, were reported as being unharmed.”
Fire crews made the area safe and cordoned off the still live power line until the arrival of an electrical engineer.
