Man floats 11,000 feet supported only by toy balloons
An adrenalin sports junkie claimed a world record yesterday when he floated to 11,000 feet (3,350 metres) above the Cambridgeshire countryside with the aid of 600 balloons.
Ian Ashpole, 46, gained a bird's eye view of the Fens before having to parachute to safety as the helium-filled balloons, measuring 4ft across, began to burst "like machine-guns firing".
Mr Ashpole, the owner of an aerial photography company who lists bungee jumping, sky-diving and tightrope walking among his hobbies, described the flight as "one of the best three I've ever done".
Inspired by the 1956 Oscar-winning film The Red Balloon, he launched his attempt from the relative safety of a hot air balloon at 5,000 feet. On stepping off the platform he climbed a further 6,000 feet in six minutes – beating his previous best achieved at 10,000 feet over his home in Ross-on-Wye in 1998.
He said: "The one worrying moment came when I released myself from the support balloon and began to spin quite dramatically. It got to a point where a lot of balloons were starting to burst and I cut myself free."
It remained unclear whether Mr Ashpole's claim on a world record would receive the official approval of the Guinness Book of Records. A spokesman said: "The wording would be difficult but we are happy to entertain a claim to see if it is a record."
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies