By Russ O’Reilly
The Tribune-Democrat
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — A carnival benefiting a community program for children continued Friday after three people were injured Thursday evening in a hot air balloon incident.
Richland Township Fire Department Chief Wes Meyers said three people sustained injuries when a gust of wind toppled a hot air balloon basket before it launched Thursday during the carnival at The Johnstown Galleria in Richland Township.
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The basket of the balloon was tethered to a pickup truck so that riders would not ascend higher than about 50 feet. Meyers said the basket was toppled by wind, causing minor injuries to two people inside it while they prepared for liftoff.
A third person, a carnival worker, was injured when he dropped from the tether as he attempted to prevent the balloon from being dragged by the wind, Meyers said.
Meyers said reports were mixed on the height from which the worker fell. According to one report, the man fell about 15 feet. Another report from a witness said he fell from about the height of a light post in the parking lot, about 25 feet.
Meyers did not have an update on that worker’s health status Friday, but said the man was conscious and speaking with ambulance personnel when they arrived around 6 p.m. Thursday.
The multi-day carnival at the mall grounds was hosted by the Cambria County Crime Stoppers nonprofit organization to bring recognition to first responders in the area and raise funds for Shop with a Cop – a community program that pairs at-risk or underprivileged children with local law enforcement officers to buy holiday gifts, Meyers said.
On behalf of Cambria County Crime Stoppers, president and founder Gary Martin issued a statement Friday afternoon, prior to the carnival’s final night of events, including a monster truck show, live music and carnival rides.
“Our thoughts are with those who may have been injured during the hot air balloon incident,” Martin said in the statement.
He said the balloon rides were provided, operated and managed by an independent professional third-party vendor, Lehigh Valley Hot Air, and were not operated or controlled by Cambria County Crime Stoppers or any volunteers of the carnival. Calls to Lehigh Valley Hot Air were not returned Friday.
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