Students at a private school in England are asking the public to help track down a missing teddy bear that fell back to Earth after being launched into the stratosphere.
Bradford Bear, a toy owned by Walhampton School in Hampshire, was sent up on a weather balloon as part of a science project with the Southampton University Spaceflight Society.
The school said seventh- and eighth-grade students secured a camera and parachute system to the balloon before releasing it from Lymington. The footage shows the bear ascending to roughly 16.7 miles above the ground before being knocked loose and plummeting back to Earth.
According to UPI, Bradford was expected to parachute down with the rest of the payload in the Basingstoke area, but the toy never arrived. Teachers now believe he may have landed somewhere between Earley and Fawley, prompting a public search effort.
Bradford Bear’s space flight ends in hunt for missing teddy
Walhampton School also issued a public appeal on Facebook, telling families and local residents that Bradfield Bear has been missing for nearly two weeks after his balloon flight. The post also included Bradford’s final moment before his untimely descent.
The post describes the toy as “greatly missed” and says the school believes he may be somewhere in the Henley-on-Thames region. The school urged anyone with information to get in touch and said that video footage or location details would be “hugely appreciated” as the search continues.
“If you have any information regarding his whereabouts, no matter how small, please let us know,” the school said, adding that videos or details would be helpful.
Speaking to the BBC, science teacher Ellie Robinson said Bradford performed “amazingly” during the mission and reassured students that the bear is “very brave and resourceful” as the search continues.
