How the Cat in the Hat Balloon Nearly Killed a Spectator at the 1997 Macy’s Parade

On Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 27, 1997, millions gathered along Manhattan streets to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Gale-force winds — reported at over 40 mph — turned the celebration into chaos when a six-story Cat in the Hat balloon was blown into a steel lamp post at 72nd Street and Central Park West.

What happened

Parade organizers debated whether to fly the dozens of giant character balloons due to strong winds, and handlers made last-minute adjustments to buoyancy, height and weight. Still, several inflatables drifted out of control. At the corner of 72nd and Central Park West the Cat in the Hat balloon struck a lamp post twice; witnesses said the second impact caused a metal arm to snap off and fall into the crowd.

An eyewitness recalled that the lamp arm seemed to hang in the air for a moment before spiraling down, and the noise of the parade gave way to stunned silence.

The falling lamp arm injured four people. Kathleen Caronna, then a 33-year-old investment analyst who was attending with her husband and infant son, was struck in the head. She was rushed to St. Luke’s–Roosevelt Hospital Center with a fractured skull and what police described as very serious head trauma. Caronna remained in a coma for 24 days and later was diagnosed with permanent traumatic brain injury that left ongoing difficulties with speech, memory and daily functioning.

Aftermath and legal action

Shortly after the incident, Caronna sued Macy’s, the City of New York and the lamp-post manufacturer, seeking $395 million in damages. The complaint sought $300 million in punitive damages from Macy’s and $95 million in compensatory damages from all defendants. The case was scheduled for trial in 2001, but the parties reached a confidential settlement just days before jury selection.

Family members and her attorney described the long-term consequences of the injury; Caronna continued to work on recovery while raising her family. Her mother later said that Kathleen often avoids the parade on Thanksgiving because of the trauma of that day.

A startling second close call

Nearly a decade later, Caronna narrowly avoided another disaster. On Oct. 11, 2006, a small plane carrying a professional baseball player and his flight instructor crashed into a high-rise on the Upper East Side where Caronna lived. Debris, including the plane's engine, landed in her apartment and ignited a fire minutes before she planned to return home.

Legacy and safety

The 1997 accident prompted renewed scrutiny of balloon safety and decision-making for flying large inflatables in urban wind conditions. Designers and handlers emphasize the difficulty of predicting how gusts will behave around buildings and street canyons — as one balloon designer observed, "you can never tell which way the wind demons are going to get you." The incident remains one of the most sobering moments in the parade's history and a reminder of the real risks posed by extreme weather during large public events.