 It was intended to be a harmless stunt. However, the balloons drifted back over the city and Lake Erie, landed in the surrounding area, causing problems for traffic in the nearby airport there. Wow. Yeah. Hopkins. Yeah. It interfered with the United States Coast Guard, who were searching for two boaters who were later found drowned. Wow. The organizers faced lawsuits seeking millions of dollars in damages, and cost overruns put the event at a net loss.