A man died in Australia Monday after falling out of a hot air balloon traveling over the country’s second-largest city.
The deceased, who has not been identified, plunged from the sky about 30 minutes into a hot air balloon journey that started in the northern suburbs of Melbourne.
"My brother heard like a loud bang, almost like something like a large item falling in your house," a witness reportedly told 9News. "And it wasn’t until we heard all the sirens that we came out."
The cause of the fall was not immediately clear, but police say they are not treating the death as suspicious.
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An investigation is now underway, with law enforcement speaking to the balloon’s pilot, other occupants and witnesses.
The man’s body was found in a residential area that Victoria state police closed off to traffic.
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The balloon he was traveling in landed safely in Yarra Bend Park, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The station added that other hot air balloons made landings at inner-city parks in the wake of the incident.
The National Commercial Hot-Air Ballooning Industry and the Australian Ballooning Federation expressed condolences for the man's family and friends.
"Hot-air balloon baskets are designed with safety in mind, specifically to prevent passengers from falling out accidentally or from any accidental exit," the organizations said in a statement. "Passengers and the pilot are understandably traumatized by this tragedy and the operator is arranging psychological support and counseling for all affected."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
