Hot air balloon accident
What was supposed to be an experience of a life time hot air balloon ride turned into a tragic event as two balloons from the most well-known, experienced hot air balloon company in Cappadocia, Turkey collided causing a fatality and […]
What was supposed to be an experience of a life time hot air balloon ride turned into a tragic event as two balloons from the most well-known, experienced hot air balloon company in Cappadocia, Turkey collided causing a fatality and other serious injuries.
Ten holiday makers had only just began their sun rise trip over the “fairy chimneys” in when the balloon collided with another. Daily Telegraph reported that “A local balloon pilot said that he believed the cause of the accident was that one balloon flew above another and its basket ripped open the envelope”. The balloon then dropped around 150 feet until it hit the ground, injuring all of its passengers and causing one fatality. Eight of the ten tourists were treated in a local hospital and another who was seriously injured was transferred to Kayseri University Hospital. Kevin Beurle, a 53 year old physicist, tragically died after the accident. The regional governor, Suat Ulusoy said, “We are still unsure as to the cause of the accident and whether Mr Beurle died on impact with the ground or jumped from the balloon in panic”.
Kevin Burle was on a package holiday with Explore Worldwide named “Hidden Trail of Cappadocia” which was scheduled to last nine days. He was accompanied by a friend, Juliet Boas, who was also injured in the ballooning accident. Kevin was a leading space scientist who worked at Queen Mary University, London. He had helped design software and equipment for the Cassini space mission to Saturn. In his spare time he was a scuba diving instructor and his interests were mountaineering, skiing and unicycling.
The balloon company was described by an employee of another company as “highly professional” and weather conditions were said to be “perfect” for the balloon ride, it therefore seems as though the crash was just an unfortunate freak accident, but highlights the dangers of balloon rides.
Only a month earlier there was another hot air balloon crash in Luxor, Egypt where the balloon flew into a mobile phone mast injuring the tourists inside the basket as it hit the ground. Two British tourists were hurt in the accident.
Linda Lea, 63, fractured her spine as well as breaking a collarbone, three ribs and her tibia and fibula bones in her shin.
Mrs Lea’s injuries were however not the end of her horrific ordeal. After the basket reached the ground she was left waiting, injured on the ground, for somebody to help her for nearly one hour. Then when she was admitted to hospital, Egyptian doctors failed to recognise that Mrs Lea had fractured her spine and broken bones in her rib for days. In addition, they failed to dress the wound on her leg meaning that when she took the decision to transfer to a British hospital, British doctors could not put a metal plate in her leg to help the broken bones.
Mrs Lea’s daughter said, “I’m amazed [Mrs Lea] got away… not lightly, but as she did. I was absolutely horrified when I saw the care she’d been receiving.”