A California homeowner was left stunned after a hot air balloon carrying 13 people made an unexpected emergency landing in his backyard.
Videos by Wide Open Country
The bizarre moment, captured on video and shared online by homeowner Hunter Perrin, shows the balloon descending directly onto his property in what quickly became a surreal morning scene.
Backyard Shock as Hot Air Balloon Makes Emergency Landing
Perrin had been watching TV at around 8:30AM when a neighbor knocked on his door with the surprising news.
Until that moment, he had no idea a full-sized hot air balloon had landed just outside his home.
"I go and answer the door. This guy's like, 'They just landed in your backyard!!!," Perrin said, via KABC. "And I'm like, 'What!?'"
"I open the sliding glass door, and there's a basket full of thirteen people in my backyard!. The pilot, he was masterful. He got it right down inside, like directly into the backyard, where there was nothing. The balloon didn't catch on anything. No one was injured."
According to Perrin, the pilot explained that wind conditions had suddenly dropped, forcing an emergency landing.
By chance, his backyard offered a clear and safe space to bring the balloon down.
Passengers Praise Pilot After Safe Landing
Despite the unusual circumstances, the landing resulted in no injuries and no damage to the property.
"You can kind of see in the video of how they came in. He kind of plopped straight down and was moving very slowly," Perrin added.
"And I run to the backyard, and there's a whole group of people that are just waving at me. And I'm like, 'Oh my God. So the sound I heard was the flames?!' And I'm like... hi!'"
Passenger Brianna Avalos, who had been on her first hot air balloon ride with her husband to celebrate their 10th anniversary, also spoke about the unexpected turn of events.
The pilot reportedly informed passengers that mid-flight conditions were no longer suitable to continue.
"He said there's not enough wind, because the wind kind of like, stopped a little bit. And he was like, 'We're going to land.' And we only had a little bit of fuel left," Avalos described.
She added that the pilot had initially aimed for a street landing but adjusted at the last moment, opting for the backyard instead.
Avalos praised the "amazing pilot" for handling the situation calmly and ensuring everyone landed "safe and sound" without injury.
