A map of the areas affected by the power outage (as of Sunday, 2:48 p.m.) from the JCP&L website. (Photo by Brian Donohue. Click to enlarge.)
By BRIAN DONOHUE
A failed balloon launch caused a power outage in large parts of Red Bank on Sunday afternoon, authorities said.
One of the balloons at the balloon launch had become entangled in a cable leading to the JCP&L substation. (Photo by Brian Donohue. Click to enlarge.)
Jersey Central Power and Light reported that around 1,200 customers were without power after the incident, which occurred around 2 p.m. Traffic congestion occurred at intersections across the city as traffic lights failed. An alert sent to customers said power should be restored around 4:30 p.m., but reports said power was back on in some areas around 3:30 p.m.
The outage was caused when a group of people gathered near Mohawk Pond in Count Basie Park and released a large number of balloons that struck power lines leading from the JCP&L substation about 100 feet away, said Bobby Holiday, chief of the Red Bank Volunteer Fire Department.
RBFD crews were on scene near the substation waiting for JCP&L crews. Balloons tangled in trees and power lines could still be seen in the area.
Several people attending the football games on the field reported hearing a loud bang just before a large number of silver and blue mylar balloons were released into the sky. One woman described how people in the group that released the balloons ran and screamed when the loud banging sound was heard.
“I heard a loud bang and saw a bunch of balloons,” said Katie Ellmer of Somerset County.
At the corner of Drs. James Parker Boulevard and Shrewsbury Avenue, Luis Toribio, a longtime Red Bank resident, immediately stepped in and began directing traffic at the intersection where the streetlights had failed.
As a Red Bank police officer arrived to relieve him of duty, a group of people gathered for a jazz concert at Johnny Jazz Park cheered in recognition of Toribio.
“It’s my pleasure,” he said. “It’s my city. It’s something I can give back to my city.”
In 2020, the municipality banned balloon releases as part of a nationwide effort to curb harmful impacts on wildlife and the environment.
Brian Donohue, editor of redbankgreen, can be reached by email at (email protected) or by phone or text at 848-331-8331. He can also be heard calling his name as he passes by. Appreciate the reporting of redbankgreen? Please become a financial supporter if you have not already done so. Click here to determine the amount of your monthly or annual contribution yourself.
