Man Dangles from Hot Air Balloon After It was Taken by Wind in Illinois

Wayne Germain caught the moment a hot air balloon got caught in a gust of wind, leaving a man dangling in Chatsworth, Illinois, on June 8.Germain was out watching a balloon launch in Chatsworth for a Sesquicentennial Heritage Days event when out of nowhere a gust of wind between “20 and 30 miles an hour” swept down on the field, causing two balloons to collide.One of the balloons took off with its pilot hanging on from the balloonist basket and people inside. The pilot was dangling for “15 to 20 seconds,” according to Germain.The pilot can be seen dangling head first off the basket, holding a string that he was pulling to release air from the balloon.The pilot was able to bring the balloon down, but the balloon hit the ground hard and he fell off. The pilot was taken to the hospital and is doing well.Meanwhile, the people stuck inside had no balloon piloting experience. They were given directions from the ground to bring the balloon down and were able to release the air and land it. Credit: Wayne Germain via Storyful