(1 Feb 2015) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 2044868
An audacious, nearly 7,000-mile-long trip across the Pacific Ocean came to an end on Saturday as two accomplished pilots safely touched down in the water just off the coast of Mexico in their helium-filled balloon after shattering two long-standing records.
American Troy Bradley and Russian Leonid Tiukhtyaev landed four miles offshore in Baja California Sur about 300 miles north of the popular beach destination of Cabo San Lucas.
Initial plans called for a landing on the beach, but the pilots decided to come in low and drop trailing ropes into the ocean to help slow the balloon for a controlled water landing.
Tiukhtyaev said that after the balloon landed in the water, the pair sent out an SOS and a fishing boat picked them up.
" The most important (reason) of this trip was out first step on this boat. I feel it," he said about the fishing boat that came to their rescue.
"But during flight there are (sic) many dramatic moments," Tiukhtyaev added.
The pilots stayed in the boat, with the deflated balloon until Mexican marines picked them up.
The pilots were said to be in good spirits at various times during the trip, but it was a grueling ordeal given the number of days they spent in the cramped balloon capsule.
At high altitudes, they had to wear oxygen masks and bundle up against the 50-degree Fahrenheit temperature inside the capsule.
They had sleeping bags, a small onboard heater and a simple toilet.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
