Photographer falls in Lake Erie throughout Browns’ helmet reveal: Video

A photographer fell into the water whereas attempting to take pictures in the course of the unveiling of the Cleveland Browns’ new alternate helmet in Ohio.

Video footage from the incident exhibits the particular person tumbling and falling into the waters of Lake Erie on Wednesday, July 23 as they tried to take pictures of the enormous inflatable helmet that includes the brand new design and colours on a barge. Storyful, citing the Browns, reported the 20-foot barge was situated about 300 ft offshore from Huntington Bank Field, the workforce’s house stadium in Cleveland.

While the Cleveland Browns didn’t instantly reply to USA TODAY’s request for extra data on Thursday, July 24, the Akron Beacon Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported the particular person didn’t stay within the water lengthy and was assisted by an officer on a jet ski.

Was the autumn staged?

The NFL workforce has not commented on whether or not the incident was staged; nonetheless, the Akron Beacon Journal reported that the person who fell into the water was influencer Ross Smith, who has practically 25 million followers on TikTok, nearly 4 million on Instagram and greater than 5 million subscribers on YouTube.

Smith shared the video of his tumble in a July 23 Instagram post that had Dude Wipes as a collaborator. The disposable wipes product model sponsored the helmets.

What does the Cleveland Browns’ new helmet seem like?

The Browns revealed a brand new helmet on July 23 that will probably be worn often in the course of the 2025 season. The helmet is matte brown and options orange stripes down the centerline, however doesn’t sport a brand. The Browns are the one workforce within the NFL that doesn’t have a brand on its helmets.

The workforce, one in every of 4 to by no means attain the Super Bowl, is asking the brand new crown its “Alpha Dawg.”

The “Alpha Dawg” helmets are the primary brown helmets the workforce has used since being based in 1946. They will probably be worn 3 times in the course of the 2025 season in a monochromatic presentation, together with the membership’s brown jerseys and pants.

“‘Alpha Dawg’ embodies what we set out to be as the Cleveland Browns, the leaders of the pack,” the workforce’s Executive Vice President, James Wood “JW” Johnson III, stated in a press release. “We’re excited about this new alternate helmet and the ode it pays to the rich history of the color brown as part of our organization, switching it up from our iconic orange helmets.”

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Cleveland Browns’ new helmets sponsored by Dude Wipes

Dude Wipes has sponsored the helmets, a lot to the delight of the web, as beforehand reported by USA TODAY.

In a press release, Dude Wipes co-founder Ryan Meegan stated the corporate is “the kings of keeping things clean,” and is “here to back the Browns as they embrace a bold new look this season − with the launch of their all-brown alternate helmets.”

“We’re pumped to team up with the Browns for one of the most iconic helmet reveals the league has ever seen,” Meegan added.

The Browns initially wore white helmets once they had been dominating the All-America Football Conference within the Nineteen Forties and through their first two years within the NFL (1950-51). The workforce switched to what’s change into its signature orange helmets in 1952.

On Thursday, July 24, a Dude Wipes spokesperson informed USA TODAY that the corporate didn’t need to make a press release, however they confirmed that Ross Smith fell into the water and “he is okay.”

This story was up to date to incorporate new data.

Contributing: Nate Davis, USA TODAY & Dan Kadar/ Akron Beacon Journal

Saman Shafiq is a trending information reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and observe her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.