The current balloon flight record was set by
Malcolm Ross (
USNR) and
Victor Prather (
USN), who took the
Strato-Lab V balloon to 34,668 m (113,740 ft) on 4 May 1961 above the
Gulf of Mexico. The balloonists landed successfully, but Victor Prather slipped from the helicopter lift harness while being transferred to a waiting aircraft carrier, and he drowned before
US Navy divers could rescue him.
Nicholas Piantanida, while attempting to set a new skydiving jump record, is claimed to have reached 123,800 feet (37.73 km) on 2 February 1966. Piantanida was unable to disconnect his breathing apparatus from the gondola, so the ground crew jettisoned the balloon at the flight ceiling. Piantanida's attempt did not set a flight record because he descended without the balloon. ==Notes==