The British owner of Segway was killed after apparently driving one of the two-wheeled personal transporters off a cliff in northern England, West Yorkshire police told the Associated Press.

The body of James Heselden and his Segway were found in the River Wharfe. Police said witnesses said they saw a man fall Sunday over a 30-foot drop into the river in a popular hiking area near the village of Boston Spa, 140 miles north of London.

Police have not revealed further details about the incident.

Heselden made his money with his Hesco Bastion company, which developed the "Hesco" blast wall system that uses sand bags to protect troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. He bought control of Bedford, N.H.-based Segway in December. Heselden also is a noted philanthropist in Britain.

The battery-powered Segway, which is stabilized by gyroscopes, was invented by Dean Kamen, who founded the company in 1999.

-- Fred Meier/Drive On