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Fireball over L.A. that people thought was a meteor was winged jumpers
Mystery fireball spotted over L.A. that panicked residents thought was a meteor was actually wingsuit jumpers performing a Red Bull stunt
- Three skydivers with pyrotechnics and LED lights on their suits jumped from a helicopter at 4,000ft
- They soared above downtown L.A. then landed with parachutes at the InterContinental hotel
- The stunt was in celebration of the third and final supermoon of the year
- Residents who could not make out the men’s shapes took to Twitter in a panic
- Some thought it was a meteor that had fallen from the sky
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A fireball which was spotted over Los Angeles on Wednesday and sent residents into a panic was in fact a pair of winged jumpers who were performing a Red Bull stunt.
The men were filmed plunging towards downtown L.A., leaving a trail of sparks and smoke behind them as they hurtled closer to the ground.
Confused residents took to Twitter to ask what the fireball was.
Many thought it was a meteor and begged authorities and fellow Twitter users for answers.
‘What is this flying item on fire above downtown Los Angeles?’ one man asked.
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One of the three jumpers who leaped from a helicopter at 4,000ft in the air on Wednesday as part of a stunt to celebrate the last supermoon of the year. The skydivers wore winged suits which had pyrotechnics and LED lights on them
Another view of the jumpers shows them hurtling towards downtown Los Angeles
This was what terrified residents saw of the stunt. Confused, they took to Twitter to ask if the area had just been hit with a meteor
One of the skydivers filmed another as he descended through the air, leaving a trail of sparks behind him
This was the skydivers’ view as they hurtled towards the city at 120mph
‘WAS THAT A METEOR, DTLA?! Caught this from my balcony— it burned out right behind the InterContinental!’ said another user.
What they saw was three members of the Red Bull Air Force jumping from a helicopter, 4,000ft in the air, as part of a stunt to mark the third supermoon of the year.
They wore custom winged suits which had pyrotechnics and LED lights fitted to them and which sparkled as the men flew through the air at 120mph before activating their parachutes.
Residents took to Twitter to ask what the site was. Some thought they had been struck by a meteor
As the men got closer to the ground, the shape of their suits became obvious to the naked eye
The sky divers deployed parachutes as they got closer to the ground before landing at the InterContinental
Skydivers Andy Farrington and Jon Devore once they had reached the ground safely
Skydivers John Devore, Mike Swanson, Andy DeVore were who took part in the stunt.
A crowd gathered to watch the men soar down from the helicopter and land next to the InterContinental hotel.
Even the LAPD joined in on the conversation.
‘PSA: A meteor did not crash into Downtown Los Angeles, and no, it’s not an alien invasion…just a film shoot. This is Tinseltown after all.’
and others filmed the stunt from their homes.
Even the LAPD joined in on the conversation.
‘PSA: A meteor did not crash into Downtown Los Angeles, and no, it’s not an alien invasion…just a film shoot.
‘This is Tinseltown after all,’ the department said in a tweet.
A crowd gathered to watch the men as the supermoon rose above the city skyline
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