A Queensberry resident thought a balloon was going to crash into their house as it plunged to the ground yesterday.
The balloon, operated by Methven-based company Adventure Balloons ended up in a tree in Queensberry, south of Luggate.
No-one was seriously hurt.
The accident, which happened about 8.30am, has been described by the balloon company as a ‘‘normal speedy landing’’. But it was far from that, the resident said.
The balloon skirted above houses, never looked to be under control and knocked over fences.
‘‘It kept getting closer and I thought ‘this balloon is going to hit our house’. So I rushed out and it went over our house by barely a metre. It then bounced its way through three paddocks, knocking over fences and snapping a solid wooden post apart.
‘‘It then headed to a good-sized kānuka tree where it landed in the middle, toppled over and that is where it sat.
‘‘It was not a controlled landing at all. I thought it was going to hit my house.’’
Tourist Hans Lansink Rotgerink, who was living in a house close to the incident, said it was unclear at first if the balloon was intentionally landing there or not.
The balloon became more unstable as it approached the ground and the basket eventually toppled over.
Fire and Emergency NZ confirmed 10 people were in the balloon when it had what it described as a ‘‘rough landing’’ in the paddock.
Crews from Wānaka and Luggate were sent to the scene. Everyone was out of the balloon when they arrived. The balloon and the basket were removed by the company within a couple of hours of landing.
‘‘It’s just like a normal speedy landing - I don’t even know why police and everybody was called,’’ an Adventure Balloons spokesperson said.
A Hato Hone St John spokesperson said 10 patients were assessed and treated at the scene, all for minor injuries.
- APL
