From a friend I was in Cardiff Uni with:

‘Just googled your balloon man – Brian Stephenson? Sounds like something we’d have done…’

Me:

‘I think that’s exactly why I keep thinking about it’

Found a link to the story.
Brian fell 300 feet to his death.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/scot-killed-in-freak-us-ballooning-accident-1-547888