COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina coast wound up being the site where a days-long drama between the United States and China came to an end on Saturday.
In the afternoon the U.S. Air Force shot down the Chinese balloon that had been floating across the country for days. The balloon met its demise in the air just off the coast of Myrtle Beach. But, hours earlier, it caused a stir as many in the Palmetto state saw the balloon floating overhead. Ricky Kinard saw it in Newberry County.
"I seen it and I called my wife and we looked at it and took pictures, and sent it to [New19] and sent it to some friends," Kinard said. "I said we should've waited because the winds blowing like it is now, this way, it's a weather balloon, the tracking should've brought it closer to us."
His wife says it was cool to witness a piece of international drama.
"I was calling my neighbors because if I can see it. I want them to see it because it's interesting, it's something you don't get to see every day," she said. "I called my daughter, woke her up, I believe; called my neighbors, they saw it."
And they weren’t alone. Many in South Carolina had their eyes in the sky and caught the balloon in various pictures and videos posted on social media.
However, in the early afternoon, the president and the U.S. Military made the decision to shoot it down. To prepare for the strike, all flights were grounded from Charleston to Myrtle Beach up to Wilmington, North Carolina.
Videos also captured the moment an F-22 from Langley Air Force base in Virginia fired on the balloon and left it falling down toward the ocean. Authorities in Myrtle Beach warned late in the day for people not to pick up any debris that could have fallen.
The Kinards are glad they got to witness a piece of national history, but aren't eager to do it again soon.
"I hope we never see it again, but we live in a weird time," Ricky said.
The Department of Defense says the U.S. Navy will be responsible for collecting the remnants of the balloon off the South Carolina coast.