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Balloonist pursues transatlantic flight then dies in New Jersey
Balloonist Bobby Berger, 46, died when his gondola plunged into Barnegat Bay near Lakehurst after taking off from a Navy base for a 36,000-foot attempt to ride Atlantic air streams. Berger, a Philadelphia resident with a wife and four children, sought fame and the first transatlantic balloon flight, financed at least in part by self‑funding over $30,000. The Spirit of Man launch Tuesday ended in tragedy with head injuries.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Atlantic Ocean
Barnegat Bay
Berger
Philadelphia
Veterans Stadium
Lakehurst Naval Air Station
Lloyd’s of London
Paris
Community Memorial Hospital
Toms River
Ocean County
Walter W. Corrigan
Robert Berger
Berkeley
N.J
Ocean Gate