NEWS: Macy's Balloon Knocks Down Street Lamp Causing Injuries

The traditional annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade turned sour when one of their classic large balloons hit a New York City street lamp, knocking it down into a crowd of onlookers. According to reports, at least one individual was taken by ambulance to a hospital. A similar incident happened in 1997, fracturing a woman's skull and putting her into a coma for a month.






This parade is in serious danger of loosing its trademark balloons if this continues to happen. The wind has been relatively calm in New York, unlike when this happened in 1997, causing even more questions about the competence of the balloon handlers.

My prayers are with those who were injured and their families on what was supposed to be a joyous day.

[edit on 11/24/2005 by djohnsto77]

Wow, this is shocking, I was just watching it on T.V.!

I'm sure it was nop ones fault, just the wind.


-- Boat

I don't like watching parades on TV, but Macy's Thanksgiving parade wouldn't be the same without the balloons. I have to wonder just how much training balloon handlers received in the past to prevent such things. Are balloons larger or heavier now than in the past?

Here in Albuquerque, we have the annual balloon festival and there is hardly one that passes without someone getting hurt. Ballooning involves risks. I don't like to see people get hurt, but you just can't have the huge balloons in such proximity to the crowds without there being a risk of injury and people need to accept that while officials do their best to minimize such risks.

some of the handlers got up wednesday morning at 6 or 7 then stayed up another 28-30 hours until parade time....do i have to elaborate? i have no doubt many drove home earlier this afternoon, too, further endangering innocent people.

hope it's a happy thanksgiving for you and youurs.... it's almost 8 o'clock here in NYC and i haven't even started eating yet.

ahh .. does this really qualify for "Atsnn.com terroranalysis.com">

Its a silly parade where some people got knocked over, Big deal BTS if anything...

they say that this particular ballon was 550 lbs with the wind was acting eariler but it died down enough to let the ballons still be in the parade so its anyone's guess

Fascinating...absolutely fascinating.

Now here's a dancing rabbit.

We went to the Macy's parade a few years ago. It was GREAT fun!
Well .... except for the fact that Mrs. Santa Claus was a transvestite.
I thought that was unnecessary.

The people who were victims in this accident were wonderful
about it. They got whacked by the lamp, and they said that they
had a great time until then. They only wanted their wheel chair
bound daughter to see Santa Claus so MACY's sent Santa to the
hospital.

Nice to see that they aren't planning to frivilously sue Macy's!

There are still some decent people in the world! Nice to see.
Hope others take notice and learn how to behave !!