Balloon drops can be safely conducted and have been fort many years
(going back to pilot Maloney on the early Montgomery primaries).

However, as both a balloon and sailplane pilot, I can tell you that
this video does not display much safety consciousness. In light wind
conditions (ballooning regime), it is not uncommon to have several
shearing events at low levels. Note how, after launch, the glider
moves forward following the ballon's movement. But then how the
balloon encounters a shear resulting in the glider starting to move
backward. If another shear were not encountered, changing the
balloon's direction, the glider would have been pulled into the cars
which were parked very near the launch site. Without enough bouyancy
to lift the glider over the cars, what do you suppose would have
happened? Immediately? If the pilot was pulled aloft and later
released after likely damage?

Regards,

Gary Osoba