Three hot air balloons crashed into the ground in Wyoming, leaving up to 20 people injured.
The incident occurred at about 8 a.m. on Monday near Jackson, a city of about 10,000 people located in the western part of the state. Teton County Sheriff Matt Carr told KIFI earlier on Monday that first responders were treating between 16 and 20 people for various injuries.
The local hospital, St. John Medical Center, said it received 10 people from the accident and that five have since been released. One person was reportedly airlifted to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center for treatment. The Washington Examiner reached out to the hospital Monday evening for an update but did not immediately receive a response.
Clinton Phillips, a passenger aboard one of the three balloons, told ABC News that his balloon, the largest, was the last to crash and that he witnessed the first two hit the ground. He described the wind as “pushing up hard sideways” and said the second balloon was “tossed around” before crashing.
“While we were so busy looking at that, we didn’t realize that we were coming down,” Phillips said. “Our pilot hadn’t said anything, and I turned around and looked, and I shouted, ‘Brace for impact!’”
“People were screaming for their lives and sobbing,” he recounted. “It was horrific.”
Phillips said the balloon he was in hit the ground and was pulled by the wind for about 200 yards before coming to a rest. He said that about 20 people were in his balloon alone.
A spokesperson with the Federal Aviation Administration said that the three balloons “landed hard under unknown circumstances.” It and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident.
