A group of Scouts from Wales on a camping excursion in the Bristol area found themselves helping with an unexpected task when they were asked to assist with a descending hot air balloon.

The 1st Beddau Scout Group had only just set up at their location in Tockington when pilot Peter De Herdt approached the young people for help.

The aircraft was among approximately 50 taking part in a mass launch event at the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta on Saturday evening.

It travelled for roughly 50 minutes from Ashton Court Estate, the venue for the annual gathering, before reaching Tockington, where the group of 13 young people used a rope to assist in deflating the balloon as it came down.

Helen Williams, who manages finances for the Scout group, explained that several of the boys were experiencing their inaugural Scout camping trip, meaning it was their first separation from their families for some of them.

The area surrounding their site is generally level, but the specific location they were in featured more hilly terrain, she noted.

Gliders and similar aircraft sometimes pass through, but hot air balloons are uncommon in the area, and the children rarely encounter them, Williams added.

Williams stated with certainty that the encounter would be something the boys, who range from 11 to 14 years old, would carry with them for years.

Matthew Bailey, a leader with the group, described it as an excellent beginning to their week-long excursion.

The event, now in its 48th edition, draws balloon enthusiasts from numerous countries, including Switzerland, Germany, Mexico and the United States.

De Herdt, who travelled from Antwerp, piloted a striped orange and brown balloon representing the Belgian footwear retailer Tim’s, one of 125 aircraft featured at this year’s fiesta.

The young people tugged on a rope connected to the balloon, which held seven passengers, following instructions from De Herdt and his daughter Fleur to facilitate its deflation.

The pilot observed that while approaching the landing site, they passed the Scout camp and spotted the boys gathered there.

He typically invites bystanders to approach the basket since many have never witnessed a hot air balloon at such proximity.

In this situation, having the boys close to the basket proved particularly enjoyable due to their eagerness.

Allowing them to pull the balloon and assist with deflation reduced the physical effort required, and the experience would remain memorable for them.

Offering them this chance to help proved to be a genuinely positive experience, he noted.