Veteran balloonists Richard Abruzzo and Carol Rymer-Davis are reported missing in the 2010 Gordon Bennett Balloon Race. The two Americans were among the last balloons flying in the competition when contact with their balloon was lost early Friday (local Italian time). The last contact with the balloon had it positioned over the Adriatic Sea in an area where thunderstorms were reported. Air and Sea Rescue has had boats and aircraft involved in an active search for hours but there has been no word. The balloon's ELT (emergency locator transmitter) has not activated. It can be activated manually or should activate automatically once in touch with water. Italian Coast Guard authorities say the aircraft will search through the day but will stop at nightfall. Boats will search through the night.

Race coordinator Don Cameron told BBC that the pair are very experienced (they won the 2004 Gordon Bennett) and had safety equipment on board including life vests, survival suits, a satellite phone and the ELT.

All other competitors in the event landed safely today.

Here is the latest statement from Don Cameron:

PRESS RELEASE WEDNESDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER 2010
News Annoucement 19.00 GMT, Gordon Bennett Control Centre

The balloon flying in the Gordon Bennett race designated USA2, registration N801NM is still missing as night falls. The
pilots are American citizens, Richard Abruzzo and Carol Rymer-Davis.

At 05.58Z this morning (29th September) we received the last signal from the tracker device, which normally gives us
the balloon position every 15 minutes. This position is shown on the web site www.gordonbennett2010.com. We were
contacted around that time also by Brindisi Air Traffic Control who had lost contact with the balloon. Mr. Luc
Trullemans, meteorologist, has had a conversation with one of the pilots at 06.05Z. No contact has been established
since. The balloon is equipped with satellite telephone, VHF radios, radar transponder and two mobile telephones. It
has not been possible to make contact on any of these. Thunderstorms were present in the area.

A search and rescue operation has been launched by the Italian Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) involving
several aircraft and a fast patrol boat. The Croatian authorities and all shipping in the area have also been notified.
Nothing has been found so far and no signal has been detected from the Emergency Location Transmitter, which
should activate on contact with water. We have been able to supply the MRCC with some information on the safety
equipment carried and technical aspects of the balloon. The balloon is equipped with survival suits, lifejackets and two
single-person life rafts.

Nineteen other balloons were flying in the event and we have confirmation that all of these have landed safely and all
other pilots are safe and well.

We are hoping that good news will come, but are becoming increasingly concerned as nightfall approaches. We are in
close contact with Richard and Carol’s families.

The search will be scaled down overnight, but will be resumed at first light. There will be no further bulletins until the
search resumes tomorrow.

Don Cameron
Flight Director
54th Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett