Chinese man climbs into balloon to harvest pine nuts, loses control and is 300 km away

A man who lost control of his hydrogen balloon while harvesting pine nuts in China has been found and rescued — after landing in a forest two days later and more than 300 kilometers away.

The man, surnamed Hu, was working alongside a colleague on Sunday in Hailin County, Heilongjiang Province, when he lost control of the balloon. As his colleague jumped to safety, Hu missed his chance and walked away.

He wasn’t found until 9 am local time on Tuesday, when — after tracking his cell signal — a rescue team made up of more than 500 people from local police and firefighters spotted his balloon trapped in a tree. The Global Times reported on Wednesday (7).

“I almost gave up,” Hu told Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. “Thanks to the rescuers, otherwise I wouldn’t be alive.”

Hu told interviewers that he was cold and hungry during the ordeal. However, he was largely unharmed, suffering what was described as only minor injuries to his waist.

The use of hydrogen or helium balloons to harvest pine nuts has become more common in China in recent years and there are occasionally reports of scavengers being dragged along – though usually not until Hu.

In 2019, two men picking pinecones in the mountains of Changbai, China, lost control of their balloon and floated 10 kilometers – before landing safely and being arrested for violating aviation regulations. In another case, in 2017, a nut picker disappeared near the North Korean border after his balloon broke loose.

Even without balloons out of control, harvesting pine nuts in China can be a dangerous business. Traditionally, scavengers who wear spiked shoes climb trees – which can grow up to 20 meters – and falls can be fatal.