In 1986, this giant cloud (?) was spotted hovering over the city of Cleveland, Ohio. The colorful mass hung in the sky, stunning locals and tourists alike. It killed two people, caused countless damages and resulted in chaos for an entire day.
So what was it? Let the brilliant work of photographer Thom Sheridan demonstrate:
It looked completely surreal, as if it was out of another dimension.
Thom Sheridan
This glowing cloud disrupted life in Cleveland….
Thom Sheridan
And the worst part?
Thom Sheridan
It was just a bunch of balloons.
Thom Sheridan
The United Way of Cleveland thought they would generate some publicity by releasing 1.5 million balloons.
Thom Sheridan
Volunteers worked for days to gather together that many balloons. Once they were released, though, it was chaos.
Thom Sheridan
A storm was moving over the great lakes, which pushed the balloons back down onto the city. Two people tragically died in an overturned boat.
Thom Sheridan
It was too dangerous for the US Coast Guard to fly out to find them.
Thom Sheridan
Not only that, but the drowning people were hidden amongst the balloons.
Thom Sheridan
In one of the many lawsuits resulting from that day, a woman’s horse frightened itself and was badly injured. She sued for $100,000.
Thom Sheridan
No one imagined such a publicity stunt would result in deaths, lawsuits and general chaos. The city of Cleveland recovered from the event and thankfully the United Way never attempted this again.
Cleveland rocks, but please, try not to celebrate with balloons.
See more of Thom Sheridan’s incredible work on his Flickr. (Via)
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