Two men in northeast China using a hydrogen balloon to harvest pine nuts lost control of the balloon Sunday—and while one man was able to jump out of the balloon's gondola to safety, the other ended up nearly 200 miles away. The man was found in a forested area early Tuesday, two days after he drifted away in the untethered balloon, CNN reports. According to state media, the man, identified only by the surname Hu, made it back to the ground after rescuers were able to contact him via cellphone and give him instructions on safely deflating the balloon, reports the AP.
According to the state-run Global Times, the balloon became stuck in a tree on the way down and it took a team of hundreds of rescuers hours to find Hu in the forest. The man, who is reportedly in his 40s, was cold and hungry but only had minor injuries from the ordeal, authorities say. CNN notes that the use of balloons to harvest pine nuts from trees has become more widespread in China in recent years and a few people have drifted away in similar incidents, but none for anywhere near as far as 200 miles. (More China stories.)
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