Man dies in fall from hot air balloon onto moving car

A man in his 20s died on Tuesday morning when he fell from a hot air balloon and landed on top of a moving car.

The incident occurred on Route 60 near the northern city of Afula.

Police said in a statement that the man was a member of the hot air balloon crew who was hanging on a cable on the outside of the aircraft during take-off.

According to the Walla news site, the operators of the hot air balloon noticed that the crew member was hanging off the side but the airship rose too quickly for them to stop it.

As soon as the crew on board realized what was happening, they attempted to land the balloon and also bring the man into the basket or catch him, but he slipped and fell.

Police said it was “unknown” why the man was in that position and that they have opened an investigation.

Medics said that they declared the man’s death on the scene. The occupants of the vehicle on which he fell did not require medical treatment.

According to the Ynet news site, the incident will also be investigated by the Civil Aviation Authority. The site noted that there were no warnings of unusual activity in the skies, and the weather was not thought to be problematic at the time of the incident.