SUNSET BEACH, N.C. — Military vessels and crews dot the Carolina coast Monday as debris recovery from the downed Chinese balloon continues.
At about 2:39 p.m. Saturday, an F-22 fighter jet fired a missile at the suspected surveillance balloon, puncturing it while it was about 6 nautical miles off the coast near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, senior defense officials said. The debris landed in 47 feet of water, shallower than officials had expected, and it spread out over roughly 7 miles.
What You Need To Know
About 2:39 p.m. EST Saturday, an F-22 fighter jet fired a missile at the balloon, puncturing it while it was about 6 nautical miles off the coast near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, senior defense officials said
The debris landed in 47 feet of water, shallower than officials had expected, and it spread out over roughly seven miles and the recovery operation included several ships
Any debris found should not be touched or picked up by civilians and instead should be reported to local law enforcement agencies
People on the southeast coast of North Carolina may have had a chance to see the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon before it was shot out of the sky. Some who witnessed it Sunday made their way to the beaches along the coast to try to spot some debris.
Recovery is still underway at beaches along the Carolinas Monday, and Sunset Beach officials said so far no debris has washed up.
“Like history being made right in front of our house,” Flo Pflaster said Sunday.
They were heading home from Little River, South Carolina when they noticed something was off this past weekend.
“All these people standing in the parking lot of the shopping center were looking up at the sky,” Flo Pflaster said. “And it was kind of surreal, I guess.”
It was the suspected surveillance balloon, minutes before it was taken down by the United States military. They were able to get some pictures of the balloon, and the planes flying toward it.
The Pflasters say that a spy balloon from China doesn’t surprise them at all. In fact, they said they think there’s more out there.
“It’s probably not much different than what’s happened 10 years, 20 years, 50 years,” said David Pflaster, with his wife adding, “Yeah, I’m just glad they got it down, and it makes us proud that we have a country that can do that and make sure that nobody on land was hurt.”
Although the Pflasters and many others were walking along Sunset Beach hoping to see some debris, the Sunset Beach Police Department said no one should take any pieces of debris as a souvenir. Instead, they should call the local law enforcement agency for collection. Police said the debris should not be touched or moved as it is part of an ongoing federal investigation.
The United States Department of Defense says that these balloons have been previously reported across five continents.
China insisted the flyover was an accident involving a civilian aircraft, and on Monday accused the U.S. of indiscriminate use of force in shooting down the balloon, according to The Associated Press.