Man Dressed As Clown Collapses, Dies In Front Of Crowds During Macy's Thanksgiving Parade

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During the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on Thursday, a man dressed as a clown suffered fatal cardiac arrest in front of the crowds of onlookers. Robert Blasetti, 67, died when he was making was balloon animals at Sixth Avenue and West 39th Street, the New York Post reported.

His wife Irene, also in a clown costume, attempted CPR before the ambulance arrived. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. Macy's spokesman Orlando Veras said they were 'saddened to report that a marcher in the Macy's Parade suffered a medical emergency,' declining to comment on whether the man was a Macy's employee.

An eyewitness account, per the Post:

'All of a sudden he collapsed and fell on his back. People came to him right away. It didn't look like he was breathing. People started pumping his chest,'' said witness Tuvia Yamnik. There were conflicting reports about how long it took an ambulance to get through the clogged streets to Blasetti.

The Post also noted that an NYPD worker also apparently suffered a fatal heart attack during the parade. He was also pronounced dead at the hospital.