Blimp crashes over U.S. Open golf tournament in Wisconsin

Blimp over the U.S. Open. — (Image credit: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

A blimp plummeted from the skies over the U.S. Open golf tournament in Erin, Wisconsin, on Thursday after apparently catching fire, with spectators capturing dramatic footage of the crash on their phones:

Some witnesses say they saw a person, or possibly people, parachute from the blimp. While it is not officially confirmed if anyone was injured, TMZ reports that "the pilot suffered burns on his face and has pain in his neck and lower back." Emergency responders reportedly had to take ATVs to get to the crash site because it was not accessible by roads; a Flight for Life emergency medical helicopter reportedly airlifted someone from the site to the hospital, although AirSign told NBC News that the pilot was not seriously hurt.

Earlier in the afternoon, AirSign suggested U.S. Open attendees keep their eyes on the sky for a PenFed Credit Union blimp:

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It is unclear if that is the same blimp that later crashed.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.