Hlas: A personal-first: I saw a blimp crash

TOWN OF ERIN, Wis. — Seeing wasn't believing at first.

Late Thursday morning during the first round of the U.S. Open golf tournament. I saw a blimp falling to earth while I was on the grounds of Erin Hills Golf Course. I wasn't immediately sure what the object was because it was deflated. Fortunately, it was well in the distance, about a mile from the course.

It was a blimp, it was on fire, and it was pointed nose-down. The pilot, Trevor Thompson, was the only person aboard.

Matt Schmidt, the blimp's crew chief, told ESPN.com he was the first person to reach the crash scene. He said he freed Thompson from the fiery wreckage and got him 50 feet from it before the first of a reported three explosions involving the blimp's propane tanks.

Thompson was airlifted to a hospital. Thursday afternoon, the Washington County Sheriff's Office said the pilot was 'seriously injured with burns and other injuries.' Schmidt told ESPN.com the injuries weren't life-threatening.

The United States Golf Association issued this statement Thursday afternoon:

'According to local authorities, a commercial blimp not affiliated with the USGA or the U.S. Open Championship broadcast crashed in an open field approximately a half mile from the Erin Hills golf course at approximately 11:15 a.m. CDT. First responders were quick to arrive at the scene and the pilot is currently being treated for unknown injuries. No other people were involved in the incident and local law enforcement is currently investigating. Our thoughts and prayers are with the pilot at this time.'

The blimp promoted PenFed Credit Union. It was operated by AirSign, a national aerial advertising company.

Many of the Open's competitors who were playing at the time were later asked about the blimp. Many either didn't see it go down or weren't aware of the severity of the situation. But Jamie Lovemark, who shot a 69, saw it all too clearly.

'It was a horrific scene,' Lovemark said. 'I've never seen a plane crash, blimp crash, anything like that. So it was pretty awful. I thought they might stop play. I don't know. It was scary.'

A manned blimp unaffiliated with FOX Sports or the June 15, 2017

A manned blimp unaffiliated with FOX Sports or the #USOpen crashed near the course earlier today. pic.twitter.com/XXaj3n8j2H

— FS1 (@FS1)

Oh, there was golf, too. The threesome of Angel Cabrera, Zach Johnson and Danny Willett I was following when the blimp crashed featured three former Masters winners who have a combined five major championships.

But to varying degrees, it's been hard times for the three lately. For 41-year-old Johnson, it's been harder than normal, but far from rock-bottom. But he has just two top-10 finishes this year (he had 10 in 2015), and is an unusually low 99th in the Tour's FedExCup points.

Cabrera, 47, won the 2007 U.S. Open and 2009 Masters. He has missed seven of 11 36-hole PGA Tour cuts this season.

Both seemed pretty sharp Thursday. Both shot 1-under 71, and looked pretty comfortable doing it.

'Very solid,' Johnson said about his own performance. 'Many opportunities today. Probably left a few out there on the par-5s (he parred them all), but all in all, solid.'

A 1-under round typically is pretty darn good in most U.S. Opens. Only Dustin Johnson was better than 1-under after 72 holes at last year's Open, in Oakmont, Pa. Zach Johnson's 2-over earned him a tie for eighth place, easily his best career finish in his 13 previous appearances in this event.

But on this day, 1-under left a player six shots behind leader Rickie Fowler, whose 7-under 65 tied the first-round Open record in relation to par.

The third member of the threesome has a sadder story to tell. Willett, the 29-year-old Brit who won the Masters last year with a closing-round 67, had a 9-over 81.

Not a lot has gone right for Willett in golf since he won at Augusta. He hasn't shot in the 60s in a competitive round since February.

This is a hard and sometimes odd game. But it doesn't approach the weirdness of a blimp crash. Let's have no more of those for the rest of eternity, thanks.