RESCUE WORKERS in Italy have recovered the bodies of two American hot air balloonists who had gone missing while taking part in a long-distance endurance race in September.

Richard Abruzzo (47) and Carol Rymer Davis had not been heard from since they reported poor weather over the Adriatic Sea off Italy’s east coast on September 29, four days into their race.

Coastguard radio operators had received their report but had lost contact with them shortly afterwards, amid high winds and lightning, and with the balloon shooting towards the sea at a speed of about 50mph.

A search-and-rescue attempt had called off after six days, and relatives of the missing pair feared they would never be found again.

A fishing boat based from the port of Vieste found the wreckage, however, when the balloon and its gondola – with the bodies of the missing pair still contained within – were found tangled up in its nets.

The pair were one of 20 teams taking part in the famous George Bennett Race, which sees balloonists try to travel as far as they possibly can on a single fill of hydrogen gas.

The American pair were well-known balloonists; they had won the same race in 2004, while Abruzzo had won the Harmon Trophy (an accolade awarded to the person considered the best aviator in the world) three times.

Post-mortem examinations are now attempting to identify the full cause of the accident. Race director Clive Bailey said he hoped the recovery of the bodies would offer closure to their families.