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Watch: Blimp at U.S. Open crashes; pilot injured, USGA says

Watch: Blimp at U.S. Open crashes; pilot injured, USGA says

A blimp at the U.S. Open apparently has crashed and burned near Erin Hills, where one spectator posted video of the incident to Twitter.



The USGA issued a statement saying that the blimp — "unafilliated" with the Open or Fox Sports, which is televising the event in the U.S. — had crashed, the pilot was injured and first-reponders were on the scene.



The Washington County Sheriff's Office confirmed to CBS 58 in Milwaukee that one person was injured, and a writer for the Cincinnati Enquirer said he witnessed the crash and the "pilot looked to have parachuted out."



The blimp was operated by advertising firm AirSign, the company confirmed to CBS 58. A spokesman from the company's headquarters in Florida told USA Today by telephone that the unidentified pilot — transported from the scene in a Flight for Life helicopter — is OK but suffered burns in the incident.

PenFed Credit Union was the blimp's sponsor for the tournament, which began Thursday morning.