TV reporter sues over promotional plunge into river

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A Pennsylvania TV reporter has sued over injuries he says he suffered during a promotional stunt in which he plunged 22 feet into the Allegheny River in a homemade flying machine.

The lawsuit by KDKA-TV reporter Dave Crawley names EQT Three Rivers Regatta, Red Bull and a marketing agency.

It stems from an August 2017 media piece before the Red Bull Flugtag event, in which teams in homemade devices “fly” from a pier into a river.

The suit contends Crawley was left with spleen and diaphragm injuries and a traumatic brain injury.

The regatta didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

Red Bull says that the event dates to 1991 and that “the safety of spectators and participants is always our primary concern.”