JOHNSON COUNTY, Ga. — Two people are safe after their hot air balloon went down in a rural part of Georgia.

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office said the balloon went down Tuesday along Killingsworth Road.

The deputy who responded to the call put up a drone and quickly spotted the balloon in a wooded area among some pines.

Two citizens, Will Killingsworth and Bruce Roberts, helped rescue crews bring the balloon flyers to safety.

After rescuing the two individuals, they learned the crew was part of a race team that began their journey in Albuquerque, New Mexico and had flown nonstop since liftoff.

The Gordon Bennett Cup race began Saturday as part of News Mexico’s international balloon fiesta. It is billed as one of the biggest events in aviation. The crew who flies the farthest distance wins the competition.

There are no stops to refuel or to pick up extra supplies. The racers are in the air for days, carrying everything they need to survive at high altitudes as they search for the right combination of wind currents to push their tiny baskets as far as they can go. Prevailing winds are expected to carry the competitors through the Midwest toward the northeastern U.S. and potentially into Canada.

There are a total of 17 teams from around the world competing in this year’s race. There is no word on which crew landed in Johnson County.

As of Tuesday morning, there were at least another seven teams still in flight, according to a news release.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

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