Record-setting balloonist dies after accident in California

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Authorities and family members say a renowned British balloonist and scientist who set 79 world ballooning records died after a balloon-related accident in Southern California.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports Thursday that 74-year-old Julian Richard Nott was injured over the weekend after his balloon with a pressurized cabin landed in a rural area. The newspaper says Nott died Tuesday at a hospital.

An obituary on his website says Nott was flying an experimental balloon he invented to test high-altitude technology.

San Diego County sheriff’s officials say deputies responded Sunday following reports that two people were injured after the aircraft landed near Palomar Mountain. There is no information about the name or condition of the second person.

Among Nott’s records is reaching an altitude of 55,000 feet (16,764 meters) in a hot air balloon.

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Information from: The San Diego Union-Tribune, http://www.utsandiego.com