BALLOONIST FALLS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1718, 8 January 1920, Page 7

BALLOONIST FALLS.

DROP OF 100 FEET

Mr V. P. Taylor, a well-known balloonist, of Sydney, narrowly escaped death at Coogee on Hoxing Day. lie was to ascend to a height of several hundred feet at the L'oogee .Carnival, and then come back to earth by parachute, but when tlio baloon liad risen slowly only about 100 feet it seemed to be slowly falling. The next thing that the thousands of spectators saw was the balloonist jump out with the parachute. Hut because the 100 feet was too low for the parachute to become effective lie came straight down without any check until within fy few yards of the earth. Then the parachute opened and tlie balloonist fell heavily.

The spectators- believed that he must have been killed, and rushed to where he had fallen,. They were surprised when Mr Taylor sa.t up and told them that he would be back for another exhibition to-morrow.

Although the parachute had taken sufficient speed out of the fall to save him from being killed, he was found lo fye suffering from a broken leg, ;