JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A man was taken to the hospital after a paramotor he was flying in crashed Monday morning, according to police.
The paramotor lost power midair and crashed into trees on Business Park Boulevard off of U.S. 1. in The Avenues area, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said.
TRENDING:
Police say he has minor injuries. Workers in the area said they saw the man lying in the grass near the street.
A picture the paramotor from nearby workers. They say they saw the man lying in the grass near the street. @ActionNewsJax @WOKVNews pic.twitter.com/sXAOEDbYMH
— Elizabeth Pace (@PaceAnJax) October 21, 2019
Nearby workers told Action News Jax they recorded video of the paramotor in the air around 7:30 a.m. Monday. For many, it was the first time they had seen him fly in this device over the business park.
"We had just gotten to the job site and we seen him coming through the sky," Brandon Wiley said. "It came around over the bus station. Then started coming about right here (construction site), then his engine just fell off."
Construction workers, Brandon Wiley and Robert Klem, told Action News in an exclusive interview that they witnessed the crash and rushed over to help him.
"He lost grip of his handles, touched that tree with his lines," Wiley said. "Then swooped over there (trees) and crashed into that tree."
"He hit pretty hard," Klem said. "It looked like he might have messed up his leg, but I'm not sure."
BREAKING: Police say a man was flying a paramotor when it lost power mid air and crashed into these trees. This is in a business park off of US 1 in The Avenues area.
— Elizabeth Pace (@PaceAnJax) October 21, 2019
They say he has minor injuries and taken to a hospital. @ActionNewsJax @WOKVNews pic.twitter.com/7PiVC7iQne
JSO said the man suffered minor injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital. Details of his injuries were not released.
"You could tell he was in pain but he said he was well enough and didn't need any help," Kathy Trevino said.
"He was definitely rattled," Kelsey Greffin said. "I think he just didn't know what exactly happened. I think he had his adrenaline going so of course we asked if he was OK and he said he was."
Police pointed out where he landed to Action News Jax. It's trees sitting along the street, surround by businesses and construction.
According to the United States Powered Paragliding Association, this man could have violated regulations by flying over a business area.
It states that the sport is self-regulated so the flyer is not required by law to be a certified pilot. However, training is required to safely fly over populated areas or sensitive airspace.
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