A man has died after falling from a hot air balloon in Melbourne’s northern suburbs.
Emergency services attended the scene at Albert Street in Preston after the man’s body was located at about 7:30am.
The balloon landed at Yarra Bend Park shortly after the incident, with other balloons in the area also landing in nearby parks.
Police said the death is not being treated as suspicious and they are speaking to the other occupants and witnesses to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
In a statement, The National Commercial Hot Air Ballooning Industry and the Australian Ballooning Federation said it offered its condolences to those affected.
“Hot air balloon baskets are designed with safety in mind, specifically to prevent passengers from falling out accidentally or from any accidental exit,” he said.
“As this matter is now subject to investigations by Victoria Police, WorkSafe Victoria, Air Transport Safety Bureau and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) it is not appropriate to comment further.”
It said that psychological support and counselling would be offered to all those involved.
The road has been closed off to traffic and police will repair a report for the coroner.
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