Danish tourist dies after falling out of balloon in Cappadocia

NEVŞEHİR

A hot air balloon flies over Turkey's Cappadocia region in this file photo. / AA Photo

A Danish tourist died on Feb. 18 after he fell out of a hot air balloon in Turkey’s Cappadocia region as the balloon was making a bumpy landing amid strong wind. 

Benny Karl Jensen, 54, boarded a hot air balloon together with 20 other customers, who were mostly tourists, at around 8:30 a.m. in the Central Anatolian province of Nevşehir, where the Cappadocia region is located. 

While the balloon started descending to land in the Karadağ area of Nevşehir’s Ürgüp district, they had to make a bumpy landing due to strong winds, Turkey’s Transportation, Maritime and Communications Ministry said in a statement on Feb. 18. 

Jensen let go of a handle inside the balloon that customers must retain a hold of and fell out of the balloon’s basket, the statement said. 

He subsequently hit his head on the rocks while also receiving major fractures to his body. 

Jensen succumbed to his injuries on Feb. 18 at a hospital he was brought by an emergency service. 

An accident investigation team of the ministry was dispatched to the scene, the statement added.