Terror ride on balloon
Visitors to the US city of Baltimore were left stranded hundreds of feet above the ground after a hot air balloon trip turned into a nightmare.
The balloon, tethered to the ground by a cable, was buffeted by fierce winds which damaged a winch, causing it to sway wildly from side to side, Sky News reported
It took rescuers an hour and a half to stabilise the balloon and get the passengers safely back to the ground.
One passenger told Sky: “You really needed to hang on. I thought the cable was going to break many times.”
Four people suffered minor injuries in the incident, but a spokesman for the company operating the tourist flight, Balloon Over Baltimore, said passengers remained calm.
He said the giant, helium-filled balloon, which has space on board for 30 people, had operated every summer since 2001 without incident and that a full investigation was underway to find out why the winch had failed.
Phil Davies
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Skyscanner reveals major travel trends 2026 at ITB Asia
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists