Accidents and Injuries

Macy's Parade 1997 Newspaper — A newspaper showing the infamous Cat in the Hat balloon incident from 1997. Of note, this is said to be the worst accident in Parade history.

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.

1929:[]

The Lap Dog tore loose from his leash near 90th Street
Turkey Gobbler hit a No Parking sign at 58th Street and 6th Avenue. Due to this, the balloon deflated and was removed from the parade.

1931:[]

The Turk hit an electric sign at 72nd Street and tore in half.
When the Cat balloon was released at the end of the Parade, the balloon hit a telephone wire, causing the balloon to be caught on fire, resulting in the balloon's retirement.

1932:[]

Tom Cat's hooked onto an airplane when the pilot of the airplane was attempting to catch it, sending the plane into a tailspin.

1933:[]

Andy the Alligator split in half, losing his tail south of 70th Street.
Gulliver had his nose punctured, but he was repaired at Lincoln Square.

1936:[]

Father Knickerbocker got his nose stuck at the elevated train line in Lincoln Square, though it was repaired. His left arm was later damaged, falling off the balloon entirely.

1941:[]

The Santa Claus balloon suffered damage and collapsed on route.

1948:[]

One of the Monkey on the High Trapeze's legs was punctured before step-off.

1949:[]

The Dachshund had problems at 47th Street.
The Crocodile also had problems at 74th Street. Both him and the Dachshund were repaired.

1951:[]

The Rainbow Trout hit a lamppost and sprung a leak at 8th Avenue.

1952:[]

The Crocodile's right arm was punctured.

1953:[]

The Toy Soldier balloon deflated overnight and was replaced by the Crocodile.

1955:[]

Spaceman's right arm was torn off near the start of the parade.

1956:[]

The Gorgeous Gobbler and the Observer balloons were both deflated in separate accidents.
Mighty Mouse barely survived the winds, as the balloon nearly crashed at Columbus Circle. The balloon did arrive at Herald Square, just mere seconds before finally succumbing to the winds and deflating.

1957:[]

The Observer almost hit a lamppost and a TV camera truck.

1958:[]

One of Popeye's arms were punctured, resulting in the balloon's removal.
The Gorgeous Gobbler was unable to be carried by cranes (which helped fly the balloons due to a helium shortage), and was removed.

1961:[]

The Gorgeous Gobbler's nose was punctured by an obstacle before step off, with his entire head later being deflated.

1963:[]

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

1964:[]

Sinclair Oil's Dinosaur's neck was punctured by a lamppost at Central Park West, causing the balloon to spring a leak and be flown at a lower altitude. In spite of the accident, the balloon was able to complete its flight to 34th Street.
Goodyear workers forgot to reseal the rip panels on the Popeye balloon. Because of this, he was deflated and removed from the Parade and was replaced by Happy Dragon.

1966:[]

Superman's left arm was deflated by a tree.

1971:[]

Happy Dragon's head was severely damaged during inflation.
Smokey Bear's hat was damaged after inflation, and it was so badly damaged that it required parcel replacement.
Snoopy was wrapped around the cab of a helium truck due to the high winds.
For the first time ever in Macys Parade history, all of the the giant balloons were grounded as a result of heavy rain and winds.

1972:[]

Donald Duck's left wing was deflated by a tree.

1973:[]

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

1975:[]

Snoopy was punctured by a lamppost at 73rd Street, and was pulled from the lineup.
Underdog 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.
Weeble's torso was torn open by a tree at 77th Street and Central Park West, resulting in an immediate deflation and removal.

1976:[]

As with the previous year, Weeble couldn't finish the Parade route as it had been punctured by a streetlight at the starting line. The balloon remained flying close to the ground before eventually collapsing at Times Square, being removed five minutes later.
Underdog's right hand was punctured by a streetlight.

1978:[]

Happy Dragon's head was punctured by a tree branch in Columbus Circle and the balloon collapsed to the pavement, resulting in its removal.

1980:[]

Snoopy was left out of the parade as a shard of glass broke the leg of the balloon. When he returned the following year, a noticeable black patch was covered over the leg puncture.

1981:[]

Snoopy nearly crashed into a streetlight and traffic lights at the starting line but was moved back and he wasn't damaged. But shortly after his NBC appearance, the patch on his leg detached, which caused the balloon to deflate rapidly.

1982:[]

The Bullwinkle balloon's nose began to lose helium shortly after turning onto Central Park West. The balloon struggled along the route until having to be taken out four blocks before the finish line.
The Mickey Mouse balloon was pushed around by strong winds and eventually hit a street sign, but the balloon remained undamaged.
The tail on the Snoopy balloon was deflated during preparations.
Superman experienced punctures in both his head and leg, but was repaired.
Woody Woodpecker was lowered due to a puncture in the head.

1983:[]

During inflation, the Mickey Mouse balloon's arm was accidently torn off. The balloon later exploded while being inflated, resulting in its removal.

1984:[]

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

1985:[]

Snoopy's Christmas list fell off the balloon after arriving on 34th Street.
Kermit the Frog's stomach was torn by trees along Central Park West. Although the balloon remained in the lineup, it was flown very close to the ground due to the loss of helium.
Olive Oyl and Superman suffered damages before the Parade began and were unable to be repaired in time.
Woody Woodpecker tore a hole in his coxcomb the night before the parade, but the hole was repaired in time. His legs, however, deflated during march.

1986:[]

Garfield's right paw and left-back paw were punctured.
Raggedy Ann hit a lamppost pole at 77th Street before the parade started and snapped the light off, smashing it in the process. Nobody was injured and the balloon was undamaged, although one of her hands was slightly deflated.
Superman's left hand torn off by a tree along Central Park West, and was carried the rest of the way by handlers.
Humpty Dumpty had his left hand and left leg deflated by a tree branch near the start of the route.
Olive Oyl almost collapsed before entering Columbus Circle, with her arm being severed by a tree.
Three of the four strings that held Woody Woodpecker's head in place were rotted before the Parade, resulting in Woody almost losing his head, his legs were also claimed by the winds.
Betty Boop, the last character balloon that year, collapsed onto the ground a few yards away from the finish line due to the high winds.

1987:[]

Kermit the Frog's right arm was ripped by a tree.

1988:[]

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

1989:[]

The Pink Panther's tail was punctured, as was his right hand and innertube.
Bugs Bunny's side was punctured by trees before the Parade started, as was Snoopy's nose. Both balloons were removed due to the damages.

1990:[]

Due to the faulty stitching, Bart Simpson was deflated the night before the parade started, but was repaired in time for his first march down Broadway.

1991:[]

Happy Dragon began loosing helium before the Parade began, however balloon technicians were able to assess and fix the problem in a matter of minutes.
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 and was retired after that year.
Betty Boop's moon was deflated during the march.
Quik Bunny veered towards a lamppost, tearing his left drumstick and hand open.

1992:[]

The leaves on Bugs Bunny's carrot were ripped off by trees.
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:[]

Bart Simpson's T-shirt was ripped open by a lamppost.
Sonic the Hedgehog lost a spike and 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 Sonic balloon was removed from the line of march.
Woody Woodpecker's hand was ripped by a tree along Central Park, and the balloon was later lowered due to winds.
Rex was blown into a lamppost at Columbus Circle, causing his entire head to deflate. Despite this, he remained in the Parade until its finish line. His test flight was used to avoid showing his deflated head on national TV.
Spider-Man had his head partly deflated after colliding with some trees.

1994:[]

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.
Color Elf falloon collapsed at 48th Street, and wasn't able to recover

1995:[]

Dudley the Dragon was speared and deflated on a lamppost near Columbus Circle and showered the glass from the lamppost onto the crowd below, injuring one person. The balloon could not make the rest of the route due to this.
Snoopy's head was torn open as the balloon made its way to the deflation area.
The Sky Dancer balloon had its face punctured by a tree.
The Sonic the Hedgehog balloon also 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.
Izzy’s left hand and arm were deflated due to his hand leaking helium.
The Pink Panther balloon suffered high amounts of damage.
The moon on the Betty Boop balloon Was ripped open.

1996:[]

Unexpected "wind demons" caused Woody Woodpecker's left hand to get torn by a tree.

1997:[]

The Ice Cream Cone balloon faced turbulence along the Parade route, causing the bottom of the cone to partially deflate. While passing through Times Square, the balloon knocked over its pilot, who was able to bounce back with no injuries.
The Arthur balloon's left arm was damaged by a tree near 77th Street and Central Park West, however it did not affect the balloon's flight or stability. His left ear was also pierced by the same row of lampposts that would destroy the Pink Panther.
Despite their small size, the ABC Balloons, which accompanied the Big Bird balloon, were still damaged. The "C" balloon was removed from the lineup somewhere between Times Square and Herald Square.^[1]
Garfield's tail was deflated overnight, and a hole was put in his back left paw at 51st street, but the rest of the balloon remained unscathed.
The Peter Rabbit balloon was nearly punctured by several lamp posts along the Parade route, including the lamp post that would later be knocked down by the Cat in the Hat balloon. In spite of several run-ins, Peter Rabbit made it through the entire route.
According to balloon technician Jim Artle, the Flying Fish novelty balloon was shredded by overnight gusts of winds. The balloon was unable to be repaired in time, and was unable to make its appearance.^[2]
The Pink Panther was reportedly one of the toughest balloons to handle due to its size. Gusts of wind would cause the balloon to continuously lurch forward and backward, knocking down its handlers repeatedly. The Pink Panther faced the most turbulence upon arriving in Times Square. At 42nd street, the Pink Panther was pierced by a streetlight in Times Square, tearing a hole in the balloon. In an attempt to stabilize the balloon, an NYPD officer stabbed the Pink Panther's tail, which proved successful. The Pink Panther was removed from the parade in a few chaotic minutes, and his handlers would go to the Quik Bunny balloon.
- In addition, following the balloon's run-in with the street light, NYPD officers helped to deflate the balloon by stabbing the helium-filled carcass. During the collapse, the balloon almost suffocated a mother and her daughter who were handling the balloon, and another report stated that a handler was knocked unconscious. This report, however, was not verified by the NYPD.
Quik Bunny was unable to enter during his planned position in the lineup as a result of the handlers struggling to keep the balloon in line. Due to this, the balloon was moved to the Barney balloon's position. While turning from 77th Street to Central Park West, Quik Bunny's left ear was punctured by a tree and deflated. Further down the route, as wind began to pick up, the deflated ear piece ended up catching a stoplight in Times Square, just off 46th street. The balloon got stuck there, but because the Pink Panther suffered an accident, the Pink Panther's handlers saw this and ran through Times Square to assist the Quik Bunny. Unfortunately, they were too late. Just before 10:30, The balloon's hat tore a hole along the ear, and within seconds, the entire hat flies open in half, revealing the inside of the balloon. The Left ear also suffered a small tear and began slowly deflating as the Hat tore off of the balloon, and was left hanging from the stoplight. In spite of the extensive damages, the balloon continued to fly until being removed at 36th Street, shortly before his broadcast appearance on NBC.
Due to Quik Bunny's delayed start, the Barney balloon's position was move to behind the Westward Ho! Float. While travelling along Central Park West, the balloon knocked over a tree, however no one was injured, and no damage was done to the balloon. When the balloon began making it's way down Broadway, at the intersection of 52nd street, the winds were getting stronger, and he started to be flown back and forth. He became so uncontrollable, that some of the handlers had to lay on the ground in order to get the balloon under control. But despite their best efforts, Barney was forced into a streetlight, tearing a massive hole in the right side of him. As the balloon made it's way back down to the street, his side pieces were flailing around as the rip worsened, eventually leading to the tail exploding in the wind. Similar to the Pink Panther incident, the NYPD had to stab the balloon until he was fully deflated. The accident became a viral video in 2013.
At 81st Street, mere minutes after the Sonic the Hedgehog balloon started its march, the balloon was pulled from the lineup because of the head being ripped open.
In what has been described as the worst accident in the Parade's history, at 10:00 AM, the Cat in the Hat hit a lamppost twice at Central Park West and 72nd Street. The first time the balloon hit, it bounced back. The second time, however, the 100-pound light fixture snapped off and fell into the crowd injuring four people, most notably injuring a woman named Kathleen Caronna. The impact of the debris ALMOST killed her, putting her into a month-long coma. In 2001, Caronna sued Macy's for $3.5 million in damages, however the dispute was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. The Cat in the Hat's signature chapeau was deflated by personnel as a result of the incident, later limping away at 36th Street.^[2] This led to new safety guidelines the following year (see below), including restrictions on balloon sizes. While the Cat in the Hat did not violate the new size limits, he was still permanently banned from the parade after the 1997 incident.
Spider-Man's hands and feet were deflated as a result of the gusty winds, however the balloon did not cause any injuries.
Bumpé's back legs were punctured and deflated after a strong gust pushed him into the sidelines at Time Square. Additionally, the high winds also caused him to lose his front toenails. Despite the incident, the balloon remained largely intact throughout the rest of the Parade route.

1998:[]

The Blue Geometric Ornament balloon was punctured by an unknown obstacle the night before the Parade and was removed.
A chamber inside burst on the Garfield balloon at 77th Street. Due to the damages, the balloon was taken out of the parade lineup.
Spider-Man's stomach tore open.
A lack of handlers on the Quik Bunny balloon caused it to go out of control, eventually being punctured and deflated by a tree.
A gust of wind pushed Wild Thing into a lamppost on 77th Street, tearing a 10-foot long gash in its left side. The damage was deemed to extensive and the balloon was removed from the lineup.
Dexter's right rocket was deflated during his debut march.

1999:[]

Akin to the previous year, the Wild Thing balloon failed to make an appearance AGAIN; this time, as a result of faulty inflation chambers.

2000:[]

Rocky was accidentally deflated during preparation, which meant Bullwinkle had to fly alone.

2001:[]

Ronald McDonald had its left arm torn open after colliding with some Central Park trees.

2002:[]

Cheesasaurus Rex's right arm was shredded, but the balloon was able to complete its appearance.

2003:[]

The sun caused helium inside of the Turkey novelty balloon's tail feathers to expand, and later exploded. The rest of the balloon remained undamaged, however.

2004:[]

One of the Macy's Yellow Stars did not make it onto the route for unknown reasons.
SpongeBob SquarePants was snagged by a lamppost at Times Square, but he was freed without major damages.
Tooey had deflated randomly near the starting line, but was re-inflated and made rest of the route just fine.
Charlie Brown almost crashed into a street light, as gusty winds pushed him dangerously close to it but was moved back. For an unknown reason, his football also had lost 40% of its helium by the time it reached Herald Square.
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:[]

"Strike Up the Band" Barney was nearly blown away, and had his foot torn open at 77th Street.
The M&M's-sponsored Red and Yellow Brighten the Holidays 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.

2006:[]

SpongeBob SquarePants once again snagged a lamppost and was freed.
Bumpus from the Weebles balloonicle unit tipped over and deflated before the Parade started, however Tibby and Tooey made it though.

2007:[]

Abby Cadabby's wand stick became detached from the wand's top.

2008:[]

Keith Haring's "Figure with Heart" hit the NBC broadcast booth, startling the hosts but not causing any damage.

2010:[]

The Kool-Aid Man and Energizer Bunny balloonicles experienced technical difficulties before their scheduled appearances, and were sidelined until they were fixed.
The Blue Holiday Ornament and the Red Holiday Ornament balloonicles both deflated and were unable to be fixed in time, resulting in their removal.
Wiggle Worm was punctured by a "ONE WAY" sign while its handlers attempted to do a spin maneuver.
SpongeBob SquarePants once again snagged a lamp post and was freed.

2011:[]

The Ice Cream Cone was punctured by a tree at 77th Street but was only slightly deflated.
One of Ronald McDonald's ice skates was pierced by a tree at 77th Street and was deflated.

2012:[]

Inflation errors caused Uncle Sam to be deflated, with the balloon being removed at 42nd Street due to aesthetic purposes.
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.

2013:[]

Spider-Man had his left arm partially deflated after impacting a tree along Central Park near the beginning of the parade.
Buzz Lightyear almost had his left arm damaged by one of the flagpoles of the Santaland Express in an attempt to pass through the float after it broke down at 55th Street. One of the balloon's utility vehicles also ran over a female balloon handler by accident, injuring her foot in the process.
Trixie's Dreidel deflated a few blocks after leaving the starting line. It was eventually repaired and caught up in its planned position along 6th Avenue.

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.

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.

2019:[]

A strong gust of wind pushed Jett to the left when turning a corner. This caused a male balloon handler to lose grip of his handling bone, and fall onto the pavement. He suffered an elbow and a knee injury.
Goku was caught in a gust of wind, causing a female balloon handler to injure her shoulder. Additionally, an older woman fell down, while another male handler tripped over a plastic bag. Neither handlers sustained any injuries.
Before the parade started, Ronald McDonald's right shoe developed a tear. The balloon struggled to complete the rest the route as the tear was getting larger, and was removed at 42nd Street, only ten blocks before its NBC appearance. After the incident, pre-recorded footage of Ronald from the 2018 Parade was used, making this the first time since 2005 that a giant character balloon was removed from the Parade.
A large gust of wind sent the front part of Wiggle Worm into the air, causing his handlers to loose grip of their handling bones. The handlers were able to regain control of the balloon shortly after, and the Wiggle Worm balloon was lowered to the ground as a result.
The overnight wind gusts caused Yayoi Kusama's "Love Flies Up to the Sky" to be shoved into a portable restroom trailer and a few ATM machines, causing its face to get punctured. Additionally, one of its tentacles was ripped open by a subway map kiosk.
One of the Blue & White Macy's Stars escaped from the staging area and was torn apart after hitting a generator.
One of the Gold Macy's Starflakes also escaped from the staging area, flying across the street until finally bursting after making contact with a building.
The Nutcracker was whipped about along Central Park West. The balloon eventually lurched forward, knocking a female handler down, who approached the balloon in an attempt to stabilize it. The handler was able to get back up with no known injuries, and the Nutcracker balloon wasn't damaged.
None of the Balloonheads could appear at all due to weather concerns.

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 its test flight, the Po balloon's right hand sprung a leak and deflated. Despite this, the balloon was able to continue its test flight without any further mishaps.^[3]

2023[]

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid balloon's left hand was punctured by trees on 77th Street.
Central Park trees tore a small hole in the brim of Beagle Scout Snoopy's hat, leaving it partially deflated.
One of the Baby Dino balloonicles couldn't make it onto the route for unknown reasons.
One of the Go Bowling Shoes broke down near 72^nd Street. After various attempts to keep it moving, it eventually rejoined the lineup near the Kinder float.
Shortly after stepping off, the left side of the Monkey D. Luffy balloon's straw hat brim was torn open by trees. The deflated brim led to the term "Bucket Hat Luffy" trending on social media sites such as Facebook and X.
The Uncle Dan balloon's left wing sprang a leak at Central Park West.
The Produce Vehicle, School Bus Vehicle, and Half-Baked Delivery Truck were all sidelined due to technical difficulties.