By Pete McIntyre / Beach Radio Vernon

Hot air balloon hits power lines near Armstrong, seven on board uninjured

Feb 1, 2019 | 3:47 PM

ARMSTRONG, B.C. — The Transportation Safety Board will be investigating after a hot air balloon with seven people on board, collided with power lines south of Armstrong.

The balloon was in the air as part of the Vernon Winter Carnival Hot Air Balloon Festival.

RCMP Constable Kelly Brett says the incident happened along Highway 97A around 10 Friday morning.

“Initial stages of the investigation show that the balloon may have encountered an updraft from wind that forced the balloon to strike a rock face of a hill just adjacent to the highway causing it then to collide with power lines,” says Brett.

Brett says police have made contact with the pilot and the six passengers on board at the time of the incident.

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“No injuries have been reported to the RCMP, and no obvious signs of damage to the power lines, however BC hydro has been notified,” adds Brett.

Winter Carnival chairperson Deb White says the balloon was destroyed in the incident.

She says the pilot is from B.C. but she didn’t know other details.

Beach Radio News has reached out for comment from the North Okanagan Hot Air Balloon Society.