Overview

• Footage shows the Variohm Components-branded balloon descending over Bower Street in Bedford at about 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, passing within metres of rooftops, parked cars and utility wires.
• Dogwalker Sam Coldham used a guide rope to steady and bring down the aircraft, according to eyewitnesses who recorded the scene.
• The British Balloon and Airship Club said the balloon landed without incident and confirmed that no one was hurt.
• Local reports said the pilot had been aiming for nearby Russell Park but lost momentum in light winds during the approach.
• The close call follows a similar Bristol incident reported two weeks earlier and aligns with research indicating most serious balloon accidents occur during landing, including a study documenting 98 incidents between 1976 and 2004 with two fatalities and 50 serious injuries.