Woman lost in balloon crash lived life to help people msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Created: June 28, 2021 11:54 AM
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. The first reports of the tragic hot air balloon crash went out over dispatch a little after 7 a.m. Saturday. It s going to be Central and Unser, we ve got a hot air balloon that ran into power lines, it is catching fire, the people fell out of the basket, an Albuquerque Fire Rescue dispatcher stated. It looks like they re trying to pull people from the basket, could be heard on another dispatch recording. Power is out everywhere.
Descriptions started coming in on what would become a horrific situation. They re going to have multiple fatalities on that balloon crash.
Editorial: Community grieves balloon crash deaths that touched so many » Albuquerque Journal abqjournal.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from abqjournal.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Created: June 27, 2021 10:19 PM
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.- People continue to pay tribute to the five people who lost their lives in a hot air balloon crash on Albuquerque s West Side Saturday.
Strangers have been leaving balloons, flowers and lighting candles at a memorial at Unser and Central. We just wanted to come and bare our respects to the families and wish them well, Gary Martinez said. I will be praying for the family and for everyone, Brittany Martinez added.
The Martinez family said it s not uncommon to see balloons in the area. We always see them. They always park nearby, so we always wake up early cause we wake up at five, Brittany said. We watch them. They re really beautiful.
PICTURED: Five victims of deadly New Mexico hot air balloon crash as it emerges school principal killed in disaster was gifted trip as a bucket list experience by her colleagues
New Mexico State Police identified the pilot as Nicholas Meleski, 62, and the four passengers as Susan Montoya, 65, John Montoya, 61, Mary Martinez, 59, and Martin Martinez, 62
All victims were from Albuquerque and had ties to the local school district
Susan Montoya was an assistant principal at Georgia O Keefe Elementary School and planned to move to another school next year
Susan s coworkers gifted her the balloon ride as a bucket list experience to send her off on her new job