Crew members safe after hydrogen air balloon heading for Europe makes emergency landing in P.E.I.

CBC

5 days ago

Three crew members are safe after a hydrogen air balloon on a transatlantic flight path had to make an emergency landing in Prince Edward Island.
The balloon landed in a swamp near Cardigan, where crew members became stuck, said the Halifax-based Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre (JRCC).
The rescue centre said a local EMS team treated one crew member for minor injuries, and all three are safe.
JRCC is no longer involved after assessing the situation, the centre told CBC News.
The Torabhaig Atlantic Explorer was aiming to be the first craft of its kind to cross the Atlantic Ocean, according to the group's website.
A post on the site said the balloon, "piloted by Bert Padelt and co-piloted by Peter Cuneo and Alicia Hempleman-Adams, will take flight as part of an audacious adventure of old friends on a journey that will look for new scientific discoveries while aiming to become the first ever flight of an open basket hydrogen balloon across the Atlantic."
The project's website said the balloon took off from Presque Isle, Maine, on May 5.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has been made aware of the landing and is collecting data and assessing the incident, the federal agency confirmed.
RCMP were called to assist, but are no longer involved as there is no investigation, police said.
In the hour before the emergency landing, many Prince Edward Islanders noted the white aircraft in the sky and posted photos and questions about it on social media.