A Welsh Scout group on a camping expedition near Bristol unexpectedly helped land a hot air balloon after it touched down close to their campsite.
Scouts Aid Balloon Landing
The 1st Beddau Scout Group had just arrived at their site in Tockington when pilot Peter De Herdt asked the youngsters to assist. The balloon was among about 50 taking part in a mass ascent at the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta on Saturday evening.
The balloon flew for roughly 50 minutes from Ashton Court Estate, where the annual fiesta is held, to Tockington. There, the 13 youngsters used a rope to help deflate the balloon as it descended.
Memorable Experience for Young Scouts
Helen Williams, treasurer of the Scout group, said: "(For some of the boys) this is their first Scout camp as well, so this is the first time they've been away from their parents for some of them."
She added: "It's flat around here, but where we are, it's a bit more mountainous. You might get the paragliders and things like that, but we don't see hot air balloons, and the kids don't tend to see hot air balloons."
Ms Williams said it was "100%" an experience the youngsters, aged between 11 and 14, would remember for years to come. Scout leader Matthew Bailey described it as a "great start" to their week-long expedition.
Pilot Praises Enthusiastic Helpers
The fiesta, now in its 48th year, attracts balloonists from around the globe, including Switzerland, Germany, Mexico and the United States. Mr De Herdt, from Antwerp, piloted an orange and brown balloon for Belgian shoe shop Tim's, one of 125 balloons featured at the fiesta this year.
Acting on instructions from Mr De Herdt and his daughter Fleur, the Scouts hauled on a rope attached to the balloon, which had seven passengers on board, to help deflate it.
The pilot said: "When we were in the approach of the landing, we passed the camp, the scouting camp, and we saw all the boys.
"I always invite people to come closer to the basket because often they've never seen a hot air balloon from that close. In this case, with the boys, it was really nice to have them close to the basket because they're very enthusiastic.
"You can let them pull the balloon and for deflation it saves us effort, and they will never forget. So it was really nice to give them the opportunity to do this for us."
