The Judicial Police (PJ) is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a man, which occurred on Sunday, whose body was found on the banks of the Alqueva reservoir, in the Mourão area, Évora district.
What is known about this man?
A source from the GNR’s Évora Territorial Command began by telling the Lusa agency that the 55-year-old man was one of the passengers in a hot air balloon that was on a tourist trip and, as he was unwell, left on the banks of the reservoir. The man was later found dead in that location.
According to Jornal de Notícias, George, the victim, lived in the Lisbon area, and had already booked the trip months ago to see the sunrise from the hot air balloon.
What do the authorities say?
It is known that the alert for the incident was given at 10:19 and that the tourist trip had started in Monsaraz, in the neighboring municipality of Reguengos de Monsaraz.
Tiago Ramos, from the Mourão Municipal Civil Protection Service, simply said that the firefighters, when they arrived at the scene, found the body next to the banks of the reservoir. Previously, according to this person, the victim’s body had been found by “an employee of the hot air balloon company”.
According to Tiago Ramos, from the Mourão Municipal Civil Protection Service, the balloon landed “on the other side of the bank”.
The commander of the Mourão Fire Department, Fábio Quintas, told Lusa that the corporation’s operatives removed the victim from the water and that “he was in cardiorespiratory arrest”. “The VMER doctor [viatura médica de emergência e reanimação] confirmed the death”, he added.
Are there witnesses to what happened?
Alexandra Santos, the deceased victim’s girlfriend, told the Lusa agency that the hot air balloon they were both traveling in, with 10 other passengers and the pilot, was preparing to land on the banks of the reservoir when, due to the wind, it changed direction.
“The balloon started to tilt towards the water, because of the winds, and, at the speed we were going, the pilot also had no chance and we hit the water, but very close to the shore. We all got wet feet,” he reported.
However, continued Alexandra Santos, the aerial vehicle “continued to move” towards the interior of the reservoir, and the pilot then suggested that some passengers “go outside to pull the basket to land”.
The man, who ended up dying, then entered the water, “the balloon rose” and “hit the water again”, for the second time, now “further away from the shore”, highlighted this witness.
“No one saw it standing up, but it was close to the shore when we last saw it,” he said, indicating that the hot air balloon then landed in an olive grove.
Alexandra Santos stressed that the man “had no foot in the area where he was” after the balloon had risen again. “There were no life jackets” on this aerial vehicle, but even though the passengers weren’t supposed to go into the water, “it made sense” to have them, as the hot air balloon flew over an “area with so much water,” she added. .
To JN, a witness to the accident also highlighted that George and another man began to take off part of their clothes to enter the water, but before they did so, the balloon unexpectedly rose again, “landing a second time, but about 20 meters from the shore.” ”.
It was at that moment that the pilot “told the two men who should have already entered the water” to push the basket ashore. The two entered the water, but the balloon rose. George didn’t make it back, but the other passenger did.
George was even seen trying to swim to shore, but he was soon no longer seen. “One of the passengers even sent the location of the victim to those responsible for the company who were on the ground, but from then on we had no further information”, recalls the same witness to JN.
What does the company responsible for the balloon say?
Lusa tried to contact the company responsible for the hot air balloon, Wind Passeger, but several attempts proved unsuccessful. JN also says he was unable to obtain statements.
At what stage is the investigation?
The circumstances surrounding the death of the 55-year-old man are being investigated by the PJ, which yesterday afternoon questioned those responsible for the company, the passengers and the balloon pilot.
An autopsy on the body will determine the cause of death, but so far no information is known.
