A 33-year-old man who fell from a Virgin Balloon Flight over West Sussex on September 19, 2025, has been identified as Jesus Lato Garzon of Watford, according to Sussex Police. Garzon was one of 16 passengers and a pilot on a balloon journey from Billingshurst to Dunsfold, Surrey, when he fell at approximately 9:20 a.m. near Newpound Common in Wisborough Green.
Emergency services conducted an extensive four-hour search using drones, officers, and dogs before locating Garzon’s body in a nearby field at approximately 1:50 p.m. Police confirmed the death is not being treated as suspicious, and an investigation is being conducted on behalf of the coroner.
An inquest into Garzon’s death opened at West Sussex Coroner’s Court on September 30, 2025. Area coroner Joanne Andrews confirmed she was satisfied this was an unnatural death. A post-mortem examination revealed Garzon died from multiple injuries consistent with a fall from height.
Garzon, originally from Seville, Spain, had been employed at The Grove, a five-star hotel in Hertfordshire, for five years before abruptly resigning earlier in September 2025. Colleagues reported he left mid-shift and told them he needed to think about his life. The hotel, popular with celebrities and footballers, employed Garzon in room service after he previously worked as a lifeguard at the facility’s health spa and pool.
A former colleague revealed that Garzon had expressed reluctance about hot air balloon travel approximately one year before his death. When balloon trips were offered by the hotel to guests and staff during the summer of 2024, the colleague mentioned considering participation. However, Garzon reportedly declined, stating he would never get in one of those due to his dislike of heights.
Detective Sergeant Elaine Keating described the incident as tragic and confirmed that specialist support was being offered to Garzon’s family and other passengers on the flight. Keating noted, “We are completing an investigation on behalf of the coroner.”
The Commercial Ballooning Association confirmed that the entire incident was captured on the flight video and submitted to police authorities. Reports indicate that Garzon intentionally took his own life after climbing out of the balloon basket while at height, with 15 fellow passengers and the pilot witnessing the event.
Garzon rented a ground-floor flat in a terraced house near central Watford, approximately two and a half miles from The Grove Hotel. Colleagues at The Grove described Garzon as a positive person, a hard worker, and someone who seemed unlikely to give up. They characterized him as private and noted he would take sabbaticals to visit family in Seville before returning to the United Kingdom. Before the pandemic, he worked primarily as a lifeguard but transitioned to room service duties in recent years.
The inquest will examine whether Garzon was known to mental health services, with coroner’s officers instructed to obtain police reports, medical summaries, and family statements regarding concerns relevant to his death. Family members were informed of the inquest’s opening but did not attend the proceedings on September 30.
Virgin Balloon Flights expressed deep sadness about the incident and emphasized their concern for all passengers involved. The company stated that it is working closely with authorities and fully supports the investigation, while also requesting privacy for the family during this difficult time.
The full inquest hearing is scheduled to resume on December 8, 2025. Garzon’s father, Francisco Javier Lato Nogales, and uncle, Fernando Garzon Cubillana, will be listed as interested persons when proceedings continue.
