CHANGCHUN, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese farmer in the northeastern province of Jilin endured two terrifying hours above the clouds after he was blown away in a hydrogen balloon while picking nuts.
The incident occurred on Monday in Wangqing County of Jilin, when Yin Yanlei, 29, was picking pine nuts from an iron platform suspended underneath a hydrogen balloon.
Rather than fixing the balloon to a tree, he asked his mother and a friend to hold a rope attached to the balloon. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew the balloon away with Yin inside.
His mother tried to hold the rope but failed, breaking her leg as she struggled to stop him from floating away. The balloon quickly rose above the clouds.
"I only saw clouds surrounding me and could not see the villages and highways anymore. My phone had no signal. I was extremely scared and in despair," said Yin.
The unwitting "pilot" estimated that he reached an altitude of at least 500 meters. Thinking of his mother and pregnant wife, he recorded a video of what he thought would be his final moments.
Luckily, his phone regained signal after a while and he received a call from his wife.
"We cried because we thought I was finished," Yin said.
He decided to bare his heart to his wife one last time. It was Qixi, the Chinese Valentine's Day.
"I love you. If I survive, I will stay with you forever. But if something happens to me, you must be brave and carry on living," he told her.
After a while, Yin received a call from police who told him that releasing gas would make the balloon descend.
When the balloon reached a big tree, Yin saw an opportunity and jumped. He landed with only some scratches.
The dramatic trip ended more than 50 kilometers from where he started. Police came to the site and took him home.
More than 40 people and seven vehicles were dispatched by local police to rescue him. They travelled across four townships to track Yin's path.
Hydrogen balloons are popular among farmers in north China for picking pine nuts.
Traditionally, people climbed trees to collect the nuts, but this was dangerous and inefficient, and the shoes they wore could damage the trees.
Yin purchased a balloon this year for 18,600 yuan (around 2,800 U.S. dollars) and spent another 4,600 yuan to fill it with hydrogen.
"I didn't manage to pick pine nuts this time, but I got a luxury sightseeing balloon ride through the sky," Yin joked.
Despite the scare, he plans to buy another balloon.
"This time, I will be very careful," he said.
