A man who spent spent two days aloft in a hydrogen balloon after it broke away while he was harvesting pine nuts from a tree has been found safe, according to Chinese state media.
The man, identified only by his last name Hu, and a partner were collecting pine nuts on Sunday in a forest park in Heilongjiang province in north-eastern China when they lost control and the balloon sailed off.
The other person jumped to the ground, and a search was launched for the escaped balloon and Hu.
State broadcaster CCTV said rescuers were able to contact Hu the next morning and instructed him to slowly deflate the balloon and land safely.
It took another day before he reached the ground about 320 kilometres to the north-east in Fangzheng, close to the border with Russia.
'It is quite high up'
In video apparently shot from the balloon and shared by Jiupai News, Hu can be heard saying "it is quite high up, and I can't see anything".
Hu was in good health, apart from a pain in his lower back, possibly from standing the entire time he was in the air, CCTV said.
A Hailin Forestry Administration official who gave only his last name, Fu, confirmed what happened and said Hu was in his forties.
He said Hu was recovering in a hospital, but declined to give more information.
Pine nuts are found inside pine cones and are a frequent ingredient in dishes served in north-east China, formerly known as Manchuria.
ABC/wires
