Twelve People Are Hospitalized After Wyoming Balloon Crash

On Monday morning, three hot air balloons crashed about 12 miles northwest of Jackson, WY. The balloons were carrying a total of 36 people between them and a dozen have been hospitalized.

According to CNN, Jackson Hole Fire Chief Brady Hansen said just after 8 a.m. on Monday (August 3rd), authorities were alerted by a call that the three sightseeing hot air balloons had gone down and the crash site was near the foothills of the Teton Village Resort Community.

Of the 12 hospitalized from the crash, 11 were taken to local hospitals while one patient was taken to a level 1 trauma center in Idaho.Falls, ID.

Teton County Sheriff Matt Carr told Oil City News that the balloons did not crash into each other and each went down separately. The balloons belonged to Wyoming Balloon Company. The cause for the crash seemed to be an unexpected downdraft of winds. The incident is being further investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.