Hot air balloon crashes into power lines
Two people have been rescued from a hot-air balloon after it struck active power lines while landing in rural NSW.
The hot air balloon struck active power lines above Sturt Highway near Buronga, in southern NSW, before 9am on Sunday.
Emergency services were called to the scene near the border of NSW and Victoria to rescue two people stranded in the basket of the balloon.
The private balloon had been coming into land when it struck an active 3 line power line above the highway.
The pilot and passenger waited for emergency services and an electrical team to arrive.
Crews from NSW Fire and Rescue and NSW Rural Fire Service co-ordinated with electrical provider Essential Energy to isolate the power lines and ensure a safe rescue.
In less than half an hour, emergency service workers had safely rescued the passengers from the hot air balloon basket to the ground.
NSW Ambulance confirmed paramedics attended the scene but there were no injuries reported.
A spokesman from Essential Energy said the electricity network protection activated automatically when the hot air balloon crashed into the powerlines.
It resulted in an unplanned network outage affecting 236 customers in the Coomealla and Dareton areas.
“Repairs to the network are continuing, with power expected to be restored to all customers by 3.30pm,” the spokesman told NewsWire.
“Essential Energy thanks customers for their patience and understanding.”
The hot air balloon was one of 10 hot air balloons travelling through the area as part of a competition balloon event in commemoration of the 20 year anniversary of 2004 Worlds in Mildura.
An Incident Report will be prepared for the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.
