THE BALLOON MAN

Death of 80-year-old circus member on Rhinebeck High School property not considered suspicious
from: dailyfreeman.com
By Freeman staff
February 13, 2013
RHINEBECK, N.Y. — An 80-year-old man who was a member of the Yankee Doodle Circus that performed in a fundraising event for the Rhinebeck High School’s Students Against Destructive Decisions died in his trailer on school grounds Wednesday morning, according to school and law enforcement officials.

Capt. John Watterson of the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office said the death was not considered to be suspicious, but they were awaiting a cause of death from the county Medical Examiner’s Office.

Watterson said the man, whom he would not identify pending family notification, was from Sun City, Fla.

School Superintendent Joseph Phelan said the circus had two performances on Tuesday evening at the middle school gym, and after the show, circus organizers packed up their vehicles, equipment, and animals and left.

The 80-year-old man remained in his trailer with his wife on school grounds overnight, and the couple was planning to leave in the morning, according to school and police officials.

Phelan said at 6:45 a.m. Wednesday, the performer’s wife came into the school looking for help because her husband “was in distress.”

Some teachers who had arrived early went outside with an automated external defibrillator but were unable to revive the man, Phelan said.

The superintendent described the incident as “a sad thing.”

Phelan said emergency responders arrived at the campus at the same time as traffic was arriving to drop children off for school, and school officials sent emergency notifications out to families to let them know there were no threats to school safety.