Records Float Away for Hapless Skydiver

The third time was not a charm for a retired French army officer-turned-daredevil who  hoped yesterday to parachute to earth from the edge of outer space. Michel Fournier's latest attempt to ride a balloon 25 miles up before his death-defying, 15-minute leap—a feat which would have smashed several records—ended with a whimper when his balloon floated away without him, the New York Times reports.

“It was like having a hammer over my head,” Fournier said."You just say, 'How come it didn't work?'" The balloon's detachment from Fournier's gondola was the latest setback in his 20-year, $20 million pursuit of the record books. Fournier, 64, plans to try again in August—and vowed next time to bring two balloons. (More skydiving stories.)