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09 August 2009

Tragic death of balloon team leader

The leader of the Jersey Balloon team, due to compete in one of the sport's most prestigious races, has died in a tragic accident.Serge Cuhat from Switzerland died on Friday in the Italian Alps.

Serge Cuhat and Sten Adeler, a retired pilot who lives in Jersey, had been preparing to take part in the Gordon Bennet Cup - an exclusive gas balloon race due to start in Geneva next month. The race is known as the Grand Prix of ballooning with entry limited to just 18 places.

Yesterday, after a flight from Switzerland, the balloon landed in the Italian Alps near Pejo. After securing the balloon, Cuhat slipped on a bolder, lost his footing and tragically slipped over a drop to his death. He'd been flying balloons for 20 years.

Team-mate and close friend Sten Adeler said the Jersey team were in deep shock.

See also the video

[http://www.channelonline.tv]

Posted by Luc at 2:22 PM

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