Blow-up doll stunt over Vancouver Harbour extremely dangerous: pilot

Floating sex doll prank could lead to charges A local man could face charges for what some might call an airheaded move: Floating a sex doll over Ambleside Park.

CTV News has obtained new video of a social media prank that police and pilots say created a serious safety risk in the sky over Vancouver Harbour.

Police in West Vancouver announced last week that a 19-year-old man could face charges after an adult-sized blow-up doll was allegedly released from Ambleside Beach into the path of aircraft on the evening of July 3.

According to Const. Kevin Goodmurphy, an officer noticed a group of people standing around two men who were holding helium balloons.

"Our officer approached to see what was going on and quickly noted there was what appeared to be a life-sized doll, an adult doll attached to those balloons," he said.

The balloons were released before the officer had a chance to ask what was going on, Goodmurphy said, carrying the inflatable into busy airspace overhead.

The incident was captured on camera and appears to have been intended as a prank, but authorities say it was anything but funny.

"It doesn't take an expert to think of what could've happened had an aircraft come in contact or been distracted by an object such as that," Goodmurphy said.

"Whereas many may think that this is funny or humorous in some ways, West Vancouver police are taking it extremely serious in that it did pose a significant risk to public safety."

Police notified Transport Canada and the Civil Aviation Branch about the incident and an alert was immediately issued to aircraft in the area.

Helicopter pilot Kelsey Wheeler said coming into contact with such an object could easily harm an aircraft's ability to stay in the sky.

"The main concern for us with anything in the same vicinity as us, for helicopters especially, would be entanglement in the rotors, so that would break down the aerodynamic properties and we wouldn't be able to produce as much lift," he said, adding that the same applies to small planes if the balloons were to have wrapped themselves around a wing or been sucked into an engine.

"As it get later in the day or dark, or depending on where the sun is, (pilots) may not be able to see those objects," Wheeler said, urging those who are thinking of sending something up into the sky without permission to consider the potentially deadly consequences of such actions.

The two men were detained under the Aeronautics Act and were later released. The camera and cellphone being used to film the video were also seized.

The devices have since been returned, but police have kept a memory card on which video of the alleged incident was stored.

After further investigation, the 19-year-old North Vancouver man voluntarily appeared at WVPD headquarters last Monday where he was arrested and later released on a promise to appear in court in September.

Investigators say they have recommended a mischief charge against him. The suspect's identity has not been released pending approval of the charge.

With files from CTV Vancouver's St. John Alexander