A person died Saturday morning after a medical episode at Macy's Balloonfest, the annual test-flight event for Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons in East Rutherford. Authorities have not released the person's identity.
According to NJ.com, police officers responded to reports of a medical incident in a parking lot at MetLife Stadium on Saturday. The person received medical treatment from local emergency personnel before they were transported to an area hospital, where they were pronounced dead, police said. Officials said the person's name is being withheld pending family notification.
Medical Resources at the Meadowlands
MetLife Stadium’s visitor guide says its on-site medical team includes trained doctors, nurses and EMTs who provide basic and emergency medical services for guests; the guide does not say whether that team was involved Saturday. Separately, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority says the Meadowlands Sports Complex houses Emergency Medical Services.
What Balloonfest Is and Why It Draws Crowds
Macy's Balloonfest gives crews the chance to test-fly the giant inflatable balloons before they make their official debut down the parade route in Manhattan. The event is described as an opportunity to test-fly large inflatable balloons ahead of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, per the same NJ.com account. A similar description comes from PIX11, which reported that the gathering allows handlers to take the balloons on a field test ahead of their parade debut.
Macy's began holding balloon test flights at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken in 1993. About 90 Stevens students, staff and alumni helped inflate and carry the balloons during those early flights, according to the report.
From Hoboken to the Meadowlands
The event moved to the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford in 2009. Since then, it has been held annually at either the Meadowlands or Citi Field in New York, per the same report. This year's event took place in a MetLife Stadium parking lot.
Police have not released further details about the circumstances surrounding the death.
