We were in Rio Rancho Albuquerque and just unloaded so we went to Wal Mart to buy a few supplies. On the horizon we saw thousands of balloons, so I ran over to an empty parking lot to take a few pictures. I took pictures of so many unusual and beautiful balloons. They looked like they were close enough to touch. Some of them even waved at me. They were landing in an empty parking lot next to walmart and I thought at first they were crashing. It was a perfect day or so I thought. While I was walking and gazing at the sky snapping away I heard a massive boom. I started running over to see what happened. I got there just as a triangular yellow balloon got tangled in the power lines. That's what the boom was...the transformer shorting out! What a horrific scene! I couldn't believe what I was witnessing. I saw a man get jolted overboard and heard him when he hit the ground. One man was left inside the basket. I regret to say he was killed. They both were from Pennsylvania. The last update I had was the man that fell overboard was taken ton the hospital in critical condition.
I kept snapping the pictures but I was sick at my stomach. I didn't think my legs could hold me up. I was so weak in the knees. That is not a cliche. I knew somebody would want these pictures, but it was the hardest thing to keep shooting these pictures.
When I got back to the truck I was uploading pictures and trying to contact a local news group when I had a knock on my door. It was the media. They ask if I saw anything, I said yes and get into my seat and I'll show you the pictures. I said I was trying to contact the local news online.
She saw my photos and immediately she started making phone calls. She told me her company would buy the rights to my pictures. I told her I didn't take them to sell but she could have them all. She asked me to give the rights to the associated press, so she took my statement. She interviewed me and wrote an article on my accounts of the accident. All the photos had my name as photographer.
A Fireman came after that and ask if I had photos. I said yes, so he jumped on the side of our truck and couldn't believe the shots. He also wanted my pictures, I told him to ask the journalist because I just gave all rights to her. She ask him what was he going to do with them? He said use them for emergency training. So I loaded them on his jump drive.
A Fireman came after that and ask if I had photos. I said yes, so he jumped on the side of our truck and couldn't believe the shots. He also wanted my pictures, I told him to ask the journalist because I just gave all rights to her. She ask him what was he going to do with them? He said use them for emergency training. So I loaded them on his jump drive.
After the balloons got the green light to go a strong wind was forcing them downward and they were all in trouble. Some landed on top of the WalMart store and 1 strawberry almost landed on our truck as you can see in one photo. The were crashing everywhere. There were even 3 or 4 almost down in the same place as the triangle yellow balloon. The fireman told of another story of another balloon about a mile away caught up in another power line and there were no survivors.
The balloon with no basket got untangled from the power lines and rose higher and higher. The fireman told us it came back down on an Indian reservation about 1 mile north of us.
You can see the smoke all aroud these balloons. The were almost crashing down in the same place.
This poor bumble bee crashed on top a road grader.
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