Tragedy as groom-to-be flung to his death from hot air balloon as it crashed to the ground

Heartbreaking footage shows a groom-to-be from an out-of-control that tragically crashed.

Julian Andrés Martínez, 34, was flung from the large contraption as he tried to halt it at a festival on Sunday night. Spectators are seen sprinting down the road as the large balloon hurtles towards them in the shocking clip. Powerful gusts of wind start to carry the balloon away with multiple people inside as the footage begins. Several people on the ground, including Mr Martínez, try to grab the balloon in a bid to save those inside.

The heroic bystander at the Colours in the Sky festival in Aguazul, northeast of Bogot, , grabs onto a rope attached to the balloon but is then lifted about five metres (16ft) into the air. And he tumbles to the ground with a huge thud - to the horror of the witnesses at the festival.

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Mr Martínez, a talented paraglider from Sopó, central Colombia, was taken to a local hospital, and then transferred to a larger facility. However, he died there of his injuries in the early hours of Monday. Local government official Sonia Lozano said: "In a moment of panic, seeing the balloon rising, this person likely tried to do something to help.

"But things didn't go as expected, and we don't know exactly what happened. At one point, he let go of the balloon and fell at the site where the accident occurred." Two others sustained burns in the hot air balloon accident, according to reports. Mr Martínez was engaged to his girlfriend, according to his social media.

Paragliders later paid tribute to him by laying wings at the spot where he fell. The Aguazul mayor's office said in a statement: "We ask for prudence and respect towards the private organisers of the event. This is not the time for blame, as it is up to the proper authorities to determine if there were any responsibilities or procedural errors."