A man, described by onlookers as "flying" while dashing after a roll of cheese in the famous Gloucester cheese rolling event, has gone viral on social media – but is he okay?!
The hopeful, who took part in the famous tradition where people chase a wheel of cheese down a hill, appeared to be ahead of the pack before gaining too much speed after seemingly "flying" down the hill before landing hard.
Journalist Colin Rugg was among those to share the video on Twitter, writing: "Man goes flying in front of thousands of people at the annual Gloucestershire cheese roll at Cooper's Hill in the UK. The tradition involves dozens of individuals who chase after a roll of cheese down the steep 200-yard hill.
© Getty Images"According to the BBC, two people were rushed to hospital for injuries. It's unclear what the man's condition is in the video below." Users also discussed the video on TikTok, with one writing: "Almost died for a bit of cheese," while another person added: "That is the biggest fall I've ever seen at a cheese rolling."
However, onlookers have told HELLO! that while the "flying man" was treated on the scene, it appeared that his injuries weren't too serious.
One festival-goer told HELLO!: "It looked like he flew purposefully but actually not at all, he was down with the first aid for a while and then stood up and walked, then was taken in an ambulance, but they didn't have the sirens."
They added: "When we saw him we thought, 'Wow the guy is a pro.' It felt so intentional, and then one guy next to us showed his video in slow mo and we said, 'Oh yeah, no no no, quite shocking.'"
© HELLO!Another onlooker added: "It was very surreal to see him in a wizard costume almost flying and his flip looked so intentional in the moment but now you see how brutal it was! Everyone was holding their breath and when he stood up clapping and cheering."
The race has been classed as an extreme sport and declared "unsafe" by the local authority. According to the BBC, an air ambulance and five land ambulances were sent to the event via the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, with a spokesperson telling the publication: "We sent five double-crewed land ambulances, an air ambulance, an operations officer, a doctor, a first responder and the hazardous area response team to the scene.
"We conveyed two patients by land ambulances to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital." The winner, German YouTuber Tom Kopke, said that the conditions were "dry and unforgiving" and claimed to have "risked his life" by taking part in the dangerous race.
