Balloon pilot: Near miss just part of the ride

AUGUSTA - A hot-air balloon&#39;s brush with the Savannah River and a line of trees wasn&#39;t an accident but a routine part of the ride, the balloon&#39;s pilot said. <br> <br> ``We just flew down and hit the water as we normally would crossing over the river,&#39;&#39; pilot Chuck Norton said. ``We floated down the river a little bit, just having a good time.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Police, firefighters and worried onlookers Sunday afternoon didn&#39;t know it was part of the ride, called the ``splash and dash.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> The close call with the trees also was normal. Norton said balloonists sometimes scrape the tree tops to slow the balloon down when wind currents are too strong, coming close enough to pick pine cones off.

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