Coast Guard seeking missing balloonist from Japan

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Story Published: Feb 1, 2008 at 10:59 PM PDT

By Associated Press

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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The Coast Guard is searching stormy seas for a Japanese hot-air balloonist missing on a trip from Japan to Oregon.

The balloonist, Michio Kanda, a world-record holder, vanished Thursday over the North Pacific about 435 miles south of Adak Island in Alaska's Aleutians chain.

Two C-130 aircraft were unable to detect the missing balloon on radar, and a Coast Guard cutter has joined the search.

Kanda's assistant, Chika Edgar, said Kanda was flying from Tochigi, Japan, to Portland, trying to break distance and duration records.

Kanda, who has 30 years of ballooning experience, planned to challenge the current long-distance world record of 4,767 miles.

Kanda was said to be well-equipped for the current trip, which was estimated to be almost 5,600 miles long and take about 60 hours.

The black and red balloon is about 15 stories tall and nearly 150 feet wide.

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