Accidents And Injuries (Kelton’s Version)

Even though the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a sight to be seen, sometimes things don't go according to plan, and even change the parade. Here are some mishaps from the parade throughout the years, including balloon deflation and injuries.

### 1962:

* Popeye's leg was deflafed at 41st Street.

### 1963:

* During inflation, a Goodyear worker stepped on the Donald Duck balloon's left foot, causing it to deflate.

### 1966:

* Superman's left arm was deflated by a tree.

### 1971:

* Bullwinkle crashed into a traffic light and then into a building. The balloon was kept as low to the ground as possible.
* Pink Panther hit into a lamppost and tore his head off.
* Mr. Tickle's head was severely damaged during inflation, due to this, he was removed and his test flight footage was use on the NBC telecast since it was his Parade debut.
* Frosty's hat was damaged after inflation, and it was so badly damaged that it required parcel replacement, the balloon was then removed.
* During inflation, a Goodyear worker stepped on the Spider-Man balloon's left hand, causing it to deflate.
* Kelton Logan was wrapped around the cab of a helium truck due to the high winds resulting in his removal, causing this to be the only time that Kelton Logan was removed from the Parade.
* During inflation, the Rudolph balloon's leg was accidently torn off. The balloon later exploded while being inflated, resulting in its removal and retirement from the Parade.

### 1972:

* Before the parade even started, the Red Smile balloon was punctured On The left bottom and was removed.
* Donald's left wing was deflated by a tree.

### 1973:

* Snoopy's chest lost helium sometime around the start of the route.

### 1975:

* Mr. Tickle was punctured by a lamppost at 73rd Street, and was pulled from the lineup.
* CsupoMaster ran into a lamp post near Times Square, also being removed from the lineup.
* Smokey Bear's right hand was punctured by a tree at Columbus Circle and sprung a leak.
* Sinclair Oil's Dinosaur's front right leg was snagged by a lamppost at 77th Street, however it was freed with no damage done to the balloon.
* Smile was torn open by a tree at 77th Street and Central Park West, resulting in an immediate deflation and removal.

### 1978:

* Winnie the Pooh's head was punctured by a tree branch in Columbus Circle and the balloon collapsed to the pavement, resulting in its removal.
* CsupoMaster was punch into a lamppost and hit a woman and a little kid, crashing to survive the accident, the balloon was removed after this.

### 1982:

* The Fred Flintstone balloon collided with traffic lights at the start of the Parade, deflating the nose. The balloon struggled along the route until having to be taken out four blocks before the finish line.

### 1984:

* Garfield's left paw was deflated after colliding with a Central Park tree.

### 1986:

* Garfield's right paw and left-back paw were punctured.

### 1988:

* Quik Bunny brushed trees at 77th Street, causing his right foot to lose a small amount of helium.

### 1991:

* The Sonic the Hedgehog balloon managed to snag on a tree and get its face was punctured. By the time the balloon reached Times Square, the head lost a lot of helium, and due to this, Sonic was removed, And His Test Flight Footage Was Used On The NBC Telecast.
* Kelton Logan was snagged by a lamppost at Times Square but was freed.
* Kermit the Frog collided with a tree in Central Park West, and his head was deflated. Despite the accident, he continued on the rest of the route headless.

### 1992:

* One of the ABC Bouncing Balls was deflated, likely from a lamppost, and was lowered to the ground for the rest of the Parade.

### 1993:

* Kelton Logan once again snagged a lamp post and was freed.
* Donald Duck punctured his left arm before crashing into a lamppost at Columbus Circle, injuring both a 10-year old girl and an off-duty police officer. Additionally, a woman was overwhelmed with helium fumes. All three were treated at the scene, and the Donald balloon was removed from the line of march.

### 1994:

* Kelton Logan once again snagged a lamp post and was freed.
* Quik Bunny lost control at Columbus Circle and ended up his ear getting ripped by a lamppost, but the balloon survived.
* Barney's left leg was torn by a tree along Central Park West. Additionally, A lamppost tore his side shortly after his NBC appearance.
* The Cat in the Hat had his right arm shredded by a lamppost.

### 1995:

* Kelton Logan once again snagged a lamppost and was freed.
* Pink Panther balloon suffered high amounts of damage.

### 1998:

* A chamber inside burst on the Thomas The Tank Engine balloon at 77th Street. Due to the damages, the balloon was taken out of the parade lineup.
* Minutes after the Sonic the Hedgehog balloon started its march, the balloon was pulled from the lineup because of his head being ripped open by a tree.
* Kelton Logan once again snagged a lamp post and was freed.
* Anpanman's stomach tore open.
* A lack of handlers on the Donald Duck balloon caused it to go out of control, eventually being punctured and deflated by a tree.
* Dexter's right rocket was deflated during his debut march
* High winds caused the Marina Liteyears and Goku balloons to collide with lampposts and tree branches at 77th Street, tearing Both of them open in the process. Due to their damages, Both Of the balloons were taken out
* Once the Pink Panther was on 6th avenue, he ended up losing control a couple times because of the 35mph winds, and ended up sideways. The balloon kept falling over. When the balloon got to 42nd street, the Pink Panther ran into a lamppost, puncturing a hole in the side of his innertube, resulting in his removal.
* A gust of wind pushed Petula Pig into a lamppost on 77th Street, tearing a 10-foot long gash in its left side. The damage was deemed too extensive and the balloon was removed from the lineup.

### 1999:

* Akin to the previous year, the Marina Liteyears balloon failed to make an appearance AGAIN; this time, as a result of faulty inflation chambers, the balloon would finally made an appearance the following year in 2000.

### 2004:

* The Cat In The Hat collided with a tree in Central Park West, and his hat was deflated. Despite the accident, he continued on the rest of the route hatless and was retired after that year.
* Garfield suffered damage from his left paw after being snagged by a tree.
* Clifford the Big Red Dog was snagged by a tree. Unlike Garfield, Clifford wasn't damaged.

### 2005:

* The Thomas the Tank Engine balloon had a handling line catch on a lamppost, causing the fixture to fall into the crowd below. The acorn-shaped light hit two sisters who were treated and released at the hospital the same day.
* Barney was nearly blown away, and had his foot torn open at 77th Street.
* Kelton Logan once again snagged a lamppost and was freed.

### 2012:

* Pikachu's ears were over-inflated, and subsequently burst after the helium inside expanded.
* A sandbag holding down the Ronald McDonald balloon caused its hair to deflate. Balloon technicians taped up the hole, with a miniscule amount of helium remaining inside the hair chamber.

### 2017:

* One of the handling lines on the Jett balloon became stuck in a 77th Street tree, however it was freed with no damages done to the balloon.
* The Red & Green Candy Cane was punctured and deflated by a tree near the start of the Parade and was removed.
* Kelton Logan once again snagged a lamppost and was freed.

### Balloonfest 2018:

* Fleck, Bjorn & Jojo could not begin their test flights due to heavy winds, and were instead kept in place for media personnel to photograph them.
* Goku knocked into a balloon handler while being lowered, causing hospitalization.

### 2018:

* The Pilgrim Man balloonhead left the Parade at Central Park South after losing helium in its head, and the Pilgrim Woman was removed at 34th Street.
* One of the Red Believe Stars did not make it to 34th Street, as a gust of wind blew it into the pilar of the Santa's Sleigh float, causing the side to be punctured.

### 2021:

* Kelton Logan got snagged by a lamppost one last time but was freed.

### BalloonFest 2022:

* The right arm on the Baby Dino riding on the DINO balloon deflated during its test flight. It is unknown what caused the deflation but it was likely a busted chamber or the seal not being sealed properly.

### 2022:

* One of the Pillsbury Doughboy's handler strings was caught in a tree at the parade's starting line, and although it was hard, the balloon was freed with help from NYC officers.
* The Striker, the U.S. Soccer Star balloonicle broke down shortly after reaching 6th Avenue, and had to be supported by its escorts for the rest of the route.

### BalloonFest 2023:

* Moments after beginning his test flight, Po’s right hand sprung a leak and deflated. Despite this, the balloon was able to continue its test flight without any further mishaps.