Veselin Hristov - the owner of the balloon from which the paratroopers jumped near Botevgrad - is standing before the court today. A 27-year-old man died in the accident, and a 38-year-old man is in intensive care at the District Hospital, Nova TV reports.
“There was no accident with the balloon. I want to express my sincere condolences to Micho's relatives and wish the other victim a full recovery. And from now on, the burden that I and my family will bear will be great. I did everything possible to have a license, but the procedures in Bulgaria are very cumbersome", Hristov said before the meeting. According to him, there was no fog in the area on the day of the accident.
„I want you to distinguish between flying and jumping. The boys have jumped. They made a mistake," he added.
We remind you that Hristov operated the balloon without documents, without an issued license and in violation of the Civil Aviation Act. About 10 witnesses were interviewed, among them the paraglider who landed successfully. More documentation on the case is pending.
The owner of the balloon is currently in custody for 72 hours, but a request for permanent detention will be filed. So far, the man has been convicted five times - for theft, road accident and destruction and possession of property, as well as for selling narcotic substances. The last punishment from the court was imposed on him in 2018.
There were four people in the basket of the balloon - Hristov, the two paratroopers and a hang-glider who jumped before them. According to information from the investigation, the parachute of the 27-year-old man did not open in time, and this is how it came to the fatal end. It became clear from Hristov's lawyer that the balloon was about 300 meters high at the time of the jumps. His defense thesis is that Hristov is not guilty of the actions that the two paratroopers committed, but is only responsible for raising the balloon.
Over 12 hours the inspection of the accident site continued. A drone was also involved in the investigation.