A large search operation for one of three men who flew their paraglider over Belgium's Tomorrowland music festival has been called off, after police determined that one of the unruly air gliders, presumed missing after a reported crash, had actually flown away safely.
"A helicopter and dogs were being used to search for the possible victim," Rumst mayor said, according to Het Laatste Nieuws. "It's a very inhospitable zone with clay pits — the circumstances for the search were very unfavourable," he added.
The three paragliders were seen flying unauthorized over the grounds of the electronic music festival in the town of Boom, and a witness said that one of the men had crashed, and informed the authorities.
Police, the civil protection unit and the fire brigade deployed a large-scale search operation on Sunday evening in clay pits in the neighbouring town of Rumst.
The search operation lasted well into the early hours of Monday, as police attempted to locate one of the flyers, who the town mayor said were "inspired by the festival."
The search was reportedly called off at around 2:00 AM on Monday after authorities obtained photos from which they deduced that the "accidental passers-by" could safely get away, according to the news site.
The identities of the three unruly flyers has not been established, but they risk being fined for illegal flying.
An unfortunate incident saw the latest edition of the Tomorrowland festival, which draws hundreds of thousands to Belgium each year, make the headlines on its opening day after an Indian man collapsed in the festival grounds and later died in the hospital.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
