WORLD : Aloft in Windless Skies, Japanese Balloonist to Abort Pacific Crossing
A Japanese balloonist will abandon his attempt to cross the Pacific Ocean alone because of unfavorable winds, and he plans to land his craft in the ocean, an official said today.
Project spokesman Ren Kato said Fumio Niwa will bring his giant orange-and-blue balloon down Saturday after a spotter airplane determines his exact location. Today the balloon was floating 4.4 miles above the ocean 1,450 miles southeast of Tokyo.
A rescue boat left Yokohama for the area today but was not likely to arrive until Sunday night, Kato said, so Niwa could end up bobbing in the sea in his gondola for more than a day. When he took off early Wednesday, Niwa hoped to travel 5,000 miles to San Diego in about four days and become the first person to cross the ocean alone in a balloon.
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