According to a source from the Évora Local Criminal Investigation Unit (ULIC) of the Judicial Police (PJ), this police continues to investigate the case
The Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of a man on the banks of the Alqueva reservoir, in Mourão (Évora), after a hot air balloon ride, the Attorney General’s Office revealed this Monday.
In response to questions posed by the Lusa agency via email, the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) limited itself to revealing the initiation of the investigation, which is carried out by the Public Ministry of Reguengos de Monsaraz.
Also contacted by Lusa, a source from the Évora Local Criminal Investigation Unit (ULIC) of the Judiciary Police (PJ) indicated that this police continues to investigate the case, pending an autopsy on the fatal victim.
“The result of the autopsy will be important to clarify what happened”, highlighted the source.
While awaiting the results of the autopsy, he added, Évora PJ inspectors continue to carry out investigative measures and listen to witnesses.
According to the same source, the man’s body is at the Évora Medical-Legal Office, in the hospital in the Alentejo city, and an autopsy should be carried out in the next few days.
The circumstances surrounding the death of the 55-year-old man are being investigated by the Judiciary Police.
On Sunday, speaking to Lusa, the girlfriend of the man who ended up dying, Alexandra Santos, who accompanied him on the tourist tour, said that this passenger had left the hot air balloon basket into the water after ditching.
“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 would end 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.
On Sunday, Tiago Ramos, from the Mourão Municipal Civil Protection Service, simply told Lusa that the firefighters, when they arrived at the scene, found the body next to the banks of the reservoir.
Previously, according to this official, the victim’s body had been found by “an employee of the hot air balloon company”, who raised the alarm.
This tourist trip had started in the Monsaraz area, in the neighboring municipality of Reguengos de Monsaraz, also located in the district of Évora.
