Hot air balloon pilot killed in crash ‘saved five skydivers’ lives’

Ben Hill County Sheriff Bobby McLemore said: “It started spinning and twisted his ropes up. He told the skydivers he was in trouble. He didn’t think he was going to make it.

“He said: ‘You’ve got to get out now.’ And we never saw him again.” The sheriff said that Mr Ristaino was able to speak to the authorities by radio shortly before he went missing.

“He told them he was in trouble,” the sheriff said. “He didn’t think he was going to make it.

“He had just made the statement that ‘I’m at 2,000 feet (600 metres) and I see trees’ and that was his last transmission.”

Rescue crews are due to resume a ground and air search of the heavily wooded area.

But Miss Wesnofske’s father Brian, who was also among the skydiving group, said: “After three days, it doesn’t look good. I hope maybe he’s dangling from a tree and he’s just waiting for help.”

Erin Daly, whose brother was another skydiver, described Mr Ristaino as a “hero” who had saved lives.

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