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Man Dies After Jumping From Helicopter Off Coast Of Malibu

MALIBU (CBSLA.com) —  Authorities say a man has died after jumping from a helicopter into the ocean off the coast of Malibu.

The Federal Aviation Administration says the pilot of a Robinson R22 chopper reports that a passenger jumped from the aircraft about a mile south of the Malibu pier shortly after 1 p.m. Saturday.

CBS2 News found the helicopter was chartered out of Star Helicopters at Hawthorne Municipal Airport.

The doors of the helicopter had been taken off for a photo shoot.

The pilot told investigators the man jumped out of the craft 45 minutes into the flight.

The lead detective in the case told CBS2 the pilot tilted the helicopter and tried to grab the 42-year-old man to prevent him from jumping, but that he had to eventually stabilize the aircraft.

Malibu Councilmember Jefferson Wagner was on the nearby pier when the incident happened.

"That's what alerted my attention, when I saw it circling, going over the area a few times," Wagner told CBS2 News.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department says the man's heart wasn't beating when lifeguards rescued him. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The man's name hasn't been released. There's no word on why he jumped or how far he fell.

(TM and © Copyright 2017 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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