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

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