- Villager in China drifted in a hydrogen balloon for some 60 miles
- He had been using the balloon to pick pine nuts when it came from its moorings
- Thankfully he was spotted by villagers who alerted police
- Police chased him across the countryside and helped bring him back to ground
A villager in China suffered a terrifying ordeal after the hydrogen balloon he was travelling in drifted 60 miles.
Yin Yanlei had been using the balloon to pick pine nuts when it suddenly slipped from its moorings and rose into the sky.
Thankfully he was spotted by villagers who called police who chased him across the countryside.
The villager was picking pine nuts when the balloon became loose and drifted away
According to Yan, he was stood on a platform suspended below the balloon when the tether came loose, leaving him scrambling for something to hold onto as he slowly rose.
He said: ‘All I could see were the clouds and the forest below. I couldn’t see any of the roads or villages – I thought my life was over.’
Thinking that he wouldn’t survive, the villager recorded a video on his mobile phone which had no reception and said what he thought would be his final words.
He said: ‘I must now face the realities of my life – I’m actually flying away.
‘If I make it home alive, I promise to stay with you for many years.’
As the balloon travelled, villagers noticed the balloon and called police. Officers in half a dozen vehicles chased him through the countryside and helped speak to him and tell him how to get the balloon to come down.