Beaufort County balloonist passes away

BEAUFORT COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - A local hot air balloonist was found dead this morning.

According to Beaufort County deputies, 50-year-old Neal Langford of Bath was found deceased in Bath Creek around 11:40 a.m. Friday morning.

Langford was found in the water near a private dock on North Main Street in Bath, Langford’s home is also on North Main Street.

According to a 2021 episode of North Carolina Weekend on PBS, Langford was known locally as a hot air balloon enthusiast who was a co-owner of IBX Balloon Flights, a company he helped start in 2018 after moving to Bath from Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Deputies say that the investigation of Langford’s death is still underway, but that they do not suspect foul play.