WISCONSIN, United States (Reuters) – A blimp at the United States Open golf tournament in Wisconsin caught fire and crashed on Thursday (June 15), according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
Police confirmed only that an “incident” occurred near the site of the tournament in Erin, Wisconsin, about 45 miles northwest of Milwaukee.
Some witnesses reported on social media that the blimp apparently was on fire before it hit the ground near Highway 83 and Highway 167, the newspaper said.
One witness tweeted that the pilot appeared to have parachuted to safety. Others said the crash was far from the course but that smoke was seen rising among the trees after the crash.
The blimp was operated by Airsign, a Florida-based company, to display advertising, according to Justin Maynard, a sales manager at the firm. He did not know whether the crew suffered any injuries.
