A holiday tradition in Cedar City, Utah, nearly turned disastrous when a helicopter carrying Santa Claus was struck by debris on Saturday (November 30). The helicopter was preparing to land on Main Street for the annual Christmas tree lighting event, attended by approximately 10,000 people, when debris was sucked into its rotors. The pilot, a senior instructor from Southern Utah University, quickly decided to abort the landing to ensure the safety of the crowd.
According to KSTU, the debris, which included dirt, sand, and trash from nearby construction, was pulled into the rotors, turning into confetti over the crowd. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported, although one person mentioned being hit by debris on their hand. The helicopter and its crew were unharmed.
Cedar City plans to reassess the safety measures for next year’s event. John Zierow, a public information officer with the city, stated, “We’ll take all necessary precautions next year, and we’ll consider debris.” The city aims to learn from this incident to ensure future events are safe and enjoyable.
Mike Mower, the executive director and chief flight instructor with SUU Aviation, mentioned that the pilot had a contingency plan in place and was in constant communication with law enforcement and other officials to keep the area secure. The city is still discussing whether the event will continue next year.
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