A man in Chatsworth, Illinois, is recovering in a hospital after a collision between two hot air balloons led him to dangle out of a basket.
WAND reported that the two balloons crashed into each other Thursday during take off.
A video recorded by onlooker Wayne R. Germain shows the man, who has not been identified, hanging out of the basket as he tries to redirect the balloon after the collision. He is able to maneuver away from the other balloons and guide his balloon close to the ground and escape. Two other people who won a trip in the balloon were left inside.
Related: 16 people dead when hot-air balloon crashes in Texas
The balloon, which was left abandoned when the man escaped, landed shortly after in some trees. The two people still inside emerged from the balloon unharmed.
WMBD reported that Chatsworth Fire Department Chief Galen Schaffer said that winds were to blame for the direction of two balloons to crash. One person directing a balloon fell.
The man was taken to OSF St. Joseph Medical Center and does not have serious injuries.
About the Author
