Releasing 1.5 Million Balloons Into The Air Is A Bad Idea

Though the event was a spectacle, as can be seen from the photos below, Balloon Fest ended in tragedy.

Thousands of volunteers worked overnight to prepare for Balloonfest ‘86. Due to the threat of inclement weather, the balloons were released earlier than planned.

Sadly, what goes up, must come down… which caused a hell of a lot of problems.

1. Rain battered the balloons to the ground before they had time to spread out, which:

2. Caused the closing of an airport runway

3. Spooked some prize-winning horses

4. Created what the Coast Guard called an “asteroid field” of debris, and…

5. Prevented Coast Guard helicopters from reaching an overturned boat, which:

6. Resulted in the deaths of two fisherman

Photo Credit: Mashable, Thom Sheridan

Money was raised, a world record was set, children were delighted, people were entertained, people were sued, people were killed, and millions of burst balloons eventually littered the ground. But for charity!