A heartbreaking scene unfolded during a hot air balloon trip when a man smiled and waved at the onboard camera just moments before climbing out of the basket and falling to his death, an inquest revealed.
Investigators said 33-year-old Jesus Lato Garzon exited the balloon during a flight operated by Virgin Balloon Flights. Garzon, a Spanish national who worked at a hotel in Watford, turned to the pilot’s camera, smiled, waved, and then lifted his legs over the side of the basket, according to testimony from witness Elaine Keating. He fell at around 9:23 a.m. on 19 September near Newpound Common.
Express reported that police later found his body on farmland near the A272. The balloon had taken off earlier that morning from Billingshurst with 16 other passengers on board. During the hearing, the inquest learned that Garzon’s fall happened so quickly that no one had the chance to grab him or intervene.
Authorities continue to investigate the events leading up to the tragedy.
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