Five colleagues from Veterinary Combination Gorredijk were involved in the accident, a spokesperson for the practice said. The killed woman was one of them. “It has been smashed with us like a bomb.” The group made the balloon flight as a gift from the organization to someone who was employed by the practice “and the wish had to make a balloon flight”. Three other colleagues were injured, two of whom are serious. They are still in the hospital.
The practice was closed on Thursday and refers to the collaboration of Veterinarians Sevenwolden for emergencies, reports the Leeuwarder Courant.
The balloon is “one of the largest in the Netherlands, but with 34 people in a large basket you are still close together,” says the spokesperson. “You can imagine that if the balloon makes a hard landing and the basket bounces, people bounce hard too.” He confirms earlier reports that people have fallen from the basket. He does not know the precise number, “some will soon get out”.
Two inspectors from the Dutch Safety Board did research all night in Friesland. A spokesperson has not heard any results from them yet. She says that they interview people and take photos “of volatile information, so that nothing can be lost.” Based on this exploratory investigation, the council decides whether “we ultimately start a major investigation” to learn safety lessons from it. That decision falls somewhere “in the coming days.”
Victim
An attempt was made to resuscitate the victim, but that was to no avail. Nothing has been announced about the identity of the victim. Two wounded would have been transported to the hospital with bone fractures.
The accident happened on the Jijkenweg in De Hoeve around 9 p.m. The alarm phase GRIP 1. Two trauma helicopters and at least 14 ambulances from the wider area were called.
Video: First images after accident with hot air balloon in Friesland
The accident with the air balloon happened just after the landing, says Monique Hoogeslag, spokeswoman for the Royal Dutch Association for Aviation, Ballooning Department (KNVVL). Hoogslag: “The pilot is very experienced and has neatly put the balloon on the floor. But because of the strong wind, he then got a lot of forward speed. They bounced through the meadow.”
They went up around 8 p.m. from Joure under ideal conditions. After an hour they went looking for a suitable landing place, as usual. The wind increased and turned. Then it went wrong. Images show that the huge wicker basket has been pulled through the grassland tens of meters.
Circumstances were favorable in advance
According to the KNVVL, the circumstances were favorable. The high temperatures may have played a role, but that is also being investigated. The fact that things went wrong is exceptional, says the spokeswoman. Ballooning is usually safe and such accidents are very rare.
Incidentally, it is common for an aviation accident to be scaled up immediately and many ambulances are sent to the incident site, according to Hoogeslag.
A spokesperson for the Friesland security region is on the way to the accident with the balloon. © Kappers Media
The aviation police will conduct further research into the accident.
‘The largest still active sailing balloon in the Netherlands’
The balloon that has had an accident is the PH-GPH, reports Omroep Friesland. According to the regional medium, it is the largest still active sailing balloon in the Netherlands.
A few minutes before the accident, this photo was taken by a bystander. © Gido Koning