MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — An unidentified object seen falling into the ocean off the South Carolina coast ended up being less-than-exciting—but not before an investigation involving federal and local agencies.
The Myrtle Beach Police Department said it received a report around 11 a.m. regarding an object spotted falling into the ocean near 18th Avenue South. Soon, authorities notified the United States Coast Guard, which sent a helicopter from Charleston to search for the object. Hours later, authorities solved the mystery of the falling object upon finding it near Surfside Beach. It was a large cluster of party balloons.
Myrtle Beach Police thanked the Coast Guard, Federal Aviation Administration and the Horry County Police Department for their help. Authorities didn't release any details about the balloons' possible origin. Still, they shared a photo of them, which showed an assortment of Marvel Comics characters, including Black Panther, the Hulk, Captain Marvel and Captain America.
It's not the first time several agencies have been involved with balloon-specific matters off the coast of Myrtle Beach. However, these were perhaps less concerning than the last well-publicized incident. In February 2023, an Air Force F-22 shot down a suspected spy balloon from China after a days-long drama that saw the strange object floating across the United States.
