Record jump thwarted -- balloon escapes

North Battleford, Saskatchewan -- A retired French colonel's second attempt to set records by skydiving 130,000 feet were thwarted Tuesday in Saskatchewan, Canada, when his balloon blew away.

Initially there was cheering at the launch site near North Battleford, about 85 miles northwest of Saskatoon, when the helium-filled balloon floated away at 5:06 a.m., but spectators fell silent when it became apparent the balloon had broken free of the capsule, the Canwest News Service reported.

Michel Fournier, 64, had canceled launch plans a day earlier because of weather. There was no immediate word on whether Fournier will reschedule the Canadian attempt, Canwest said.

Fournier has had bad luck with balloons -- in 2002 and 2003, similar attempts were foiled when the balloons broke apart during inflation, the report said.

His quest is to set records for highest altitude free fall, highest altitude human balloon flight, time record for longest free fall and the speed record for the fastest free fall, as he initially would break the sound barrier.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.