The Civil Aviation Authority is investigating why a private hot air balloon drifted into power cables on a local wine estate at the weekend.
Two women were seriously injured in the incident.
Louise Vorster, 57, and Sanet Koster, 50, both from Melkbosstrand, are recovering at Stellenbosch Mediclinic.
A third woman, Marie Jacobs, 50, from Johannesburg, sustained minor injuries along with the pilot Justin Fowler.
The three women had decided to take a balloon tour around the Peninsula on Saturday morning.
They took off from Joostenbergvlakte before crashing into the power cables on the Beyerskloof wine estate outside Stellenbosch just before 8am.
ER24 spokesperson Derrick Banks said when paramedics arrived, they found emergency personnel already treating two women.
“One of them was airlifted to a nearby hospital as she was in a critical condition. The other woman was treated for suspected neck and back injuries as well as a broken leg,” he said.
On Sunday, Stellenbosch Mediclinic spokesperson Carla Hanekom said Jacobs, who was not admitted, sustained minor injures while her two friends required operations.
“Koster fractured her right foot and was operated on.
“Vorster sustained multiple pelvis and facial fractures, and was also operated on on Saturday afternoon,” she said.
Hanekom said both were in a stable condition.
She said according to Vorster and Koster, they had crashed as a result of a sudden gust of wind blowing the balloon off course.
Chairperson of the Commercial Balloon Operators Association of SA, Wynand Uys, said: “We believe it was a private flight because we don’t know the pilot. It can’t be speculated what exactly happened until the investigation by the Civil Aviation Authority has been completed.”
Uys added that hot air balloon accidents were rare.
According to a weekend newspaper, Beyerskloof wine estate owner Beyers Truter and one of his staff were walking in the vineyards when they witnessed the incident around 7.30-8am.
Truter said he called Netcare 911 emergency service after seeing sparks and flames from the electrical cables, which surrounded the balloon.