Man Falls to His Death After Hot Air Balloon Burst Into Flames

A man is dead after a tragic accident. Video captured a man’s horrifying death, which occurred when a hot air balloon caught fire.

Riviera Maya News reported that the incident happened on May 11 during the First Balloon Festival in Zacatecas, Mexico.

The hot air balloon was on the ground when it broke loose of its teether, according to the outlet. Its basket proceeded to catch fire with three people inside, the outlet reported.

One man, identified as 40-year-old Lucio “N” by police, was able to save the other two people onboard, per the outlet. After his heroics, though, Lucio got tangled in the rope and was suspended in midair, the outlet reported.

The fatal incident was captured on video. The clip showed Lucio dangling from the hot air balloon before falling to his death.

NEW: Man falls from the basket of a hot air balloon after it caught on fire in Zacatecas, Mexico.

The man was seen hanging onto a rope as the balloon continued to go higher in the sky.

The incident unfolded when the basket caught fire on the ground. In a final act of… pic.twitter.com/BHAY9Bn7xJ

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 13, 2025

Official Speaks Out About Fatal Hot Air Balloon Incident

Secretary General Rodrigo Reyes Mugüerza spoke out about the tragedy in a Facebook post.

“I regret to inform you that during the First Balloon Festival, part of the Enrique Estrada 2025 Fair organized by the city council of this municipality, a person lost their life after an unfortunate incident while aboard a hot air balloon,” he wrote. “Authorities immediately responded to the scene to provide care and support to those affected.”

“We have asked the State Attorney General’s Office to conduct the corresponding investigations to clarify the facts and determine responsibility,” Reyes Mugüerza added. “We urge all municipal authorities to strengthen their verification mechanisms to avoid these types of risks during their activities and festivities.”

In a 2024 article, The BBC, citing data from the National Transportation Safety Board showed 775 hot air balloon accidents on record in the U.S. since 1964. Out of those incidents, 70 involved fatalities, per the outlet.