A passenger jumped from a hot-air balloon over the Kansas River Thursday night in Lawrence in an effort to pull the balloon to the bank and keep it from crashing into the water, authorities said.

The balloon, which was low on fuel, dipped into the water several times and finally landed about three feet from the edge of the river on a walking path near Second and Indiana streets, said Trooper Edna Buttler of the Kansas Highway Patrol. No one was injured.

Buttler refused multiple requests to identify the passengers or the pilot and said the balloon company’s owner didn’t want any names released.

The balloon held two passengers from Ottawa, a passenger from Lawrence and a pilot from Lawrence, she said.

The balloon took off at Broken Arrow Park near 31st and Louisiana streets and was supposed to land at Burcham Park, near Second and Indiana streets, but Buttler said the area where they were supposed to land was congested. The balloon made its emergency landing shortly after 8 p.m., she said.

Eyewitness Clinton Hanson was at the river to fish when he saw the balloon coming down.

“A guy jumped out from about 15 feet or 10 feet to try to pull it over to the shore,” he said.

6News reporters Sharita Hutton and Mike Rigg contributed to this story.

A hot-air balloon sails over power lines north of Sixth Street. The balloon, which took off from Broken Arrow Park and was headed for Burcham Park, made an emergency landing Thursday near the Kansas River.