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Rescue workers attempted in vain to resuscitate the 55-year-old dad. His wife and two daughters remain critically injured at area hospitals.
A California family on vacation in Switzerland was ripped apart by a horrific hot air balloon crash on Tuesday morning, according to Swiss police.
A 55-year-old father died after a hot air balloon carrying his family of four plunged 165 feet to the ground after crashing into a power line near the town of Montbovon. Rescue workers rushed to the scene but couldn’t resuscitate the man. His 55-year-old wife and two daughters, aged 20 and 24, suffered life-threatening injuries and had to be air-lifted to local hospitals.
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The accident happened at 8:30 a.m. local time near the town of Montbovon in the Swiss canton (state) of Fribourg.
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The plane’s 65-year-old pilot was also injured in the 8:30 a.m. crash and taken to the hospital by ambulance.
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The balloon’s 65-year-old pilot was also hurt in the accident. According to local reports, his injuries are not as severe as the American family’s injuries.
The family had been on a two-hour pleasure flight from from Château d’Oex, a municipality in Switzerland that calls itself the hot-air ballooning capital of the world.
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The tourists had been visiting Château d’Oex, a region that is known for its classic Swiss scenery and its annual hot air balloon festival.
The balloon involved in the crash was chartered by the family’s hotel in Gstaad, according to Switzerland’s The Local.
The Swiss news agency SDA said that balloon pilots in the region considered the accident site to be safe spot for landing.
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Swiss authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the incident, La Liberte reports.
With the Associated Press