Giant clown blocking main road means juggling act for fire crew
A giant 8m inflatable clown balloon blocked a major road after it was picked up by strong winds and hurled over a fence — and getting rid of it proved no small feat.
Bruno the clown, advertising the Weber Bros Circus about to open in Pukekohe, was found lying big red nose-down across Mill Rd, South Auckland, by a motorist early yesterday.
Firefighters were called to clear the unlikely road hazard, which Pukekohe station officer Darcy Hart said was one of the more unusual jobs of his career.
It was a juggling act for firefighters, who had to take the air out of the inflatable clown without wrecking it.
“It had jumped the fence and was lying across the road. We had to find zips to release the air. So we swiftly deflated the happy clown to become an unhappy clown.
“I’ve been in the job for 17 years and I’ve never been to a job where there’s been an 8m high inflatable clown across the road.”
The sadder-looking and much smaller clown was moved back to the other side of the fence, he said.
Weber Bros director Harry Weber said the giant inflatable clown, affectionately dubbed Bruno, was inspected for damage before he was reinflated and returned to his roadside perch.
The promotional clown — one of 30 — had been fastened securely with special pegs and tied to a fence. Weber said it was the first time one had become airborne.
He also revealed where the zip to deflate the clown was: “Near his buttocks — so when they let the air out they would have smelled something funny I think.”