‘Very surreal, very dangerous:’ Myrtle Beach area leaders react to fallen Chinese balloon
“The fact that this spy balloon — that has been publicly claimed by an adversary of the U.S. — has been floating over the middle of our country, and @POTUS hasn’t done anything about it is extremely disturbing,” South Carolina Rep. Russell Fry wrote in a Feb. 3 tweet, a day before a U.S. Air Force F-22 shot the balloon down over the Atlantic Ocean.
The fact that this spy balloon — that has been publicly claimed by an adversary of the US — has been floating over the middle of our country, and @POTUS hasn't done anything about it is extremely disturbing. So much for COMMANDER-in-chief. https://t.co/cM8Sc6Au8O
— Congressman Russell Fry (@RepRussellFry) February 3, 2023
U.S. Sen. Tim Scott in an email was likewise critical of President Joe Biden’s decision to wait until the balloon made it as far as it did before giving orders to destroy it.
“The balloon should have been shot down before it crossed the continental United States, not after. We still don’t know what information was collected and where it was sent,” Scott’s Feb. 4 statement said. “This was a dereliction of Biden’s duty, and let’s hope the American people don’t pay a price.”
Karen Riordan, president of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and Myrtle Beach Area Convention and Visitors’ Bureau, said in a text message the agency was appreciative to the military and Myrtle Beach Airport, which accommodated passengers as flights were temporarily grounded.
“We are grateful for the brave service of our jet fighter pilots for keeping our area and our country safe. Thank you also to the professionals at MYR airport for keeping passengers safe,” Riordan said.
As Myrtle Beach continued to trend on Twitter, dozens of videos and photographs were uploaded showing the balloon’s descent from various angles — and with varying degrees of commentary.
One user dubbed video of the balloon to the Postal Service’s “Such Great Heights,” while others turned to “Top Gun” references.
State Sen. Greg Hembree, R-North Myrtle Beach, stood with about six other people in the street, watching the military action.
“It’s a little creepy in a way that this is real stuff,” he said. “There was the thought that crossed my mind that South Carolina has that great military history and heavy support for the military. It seems appropriate that it happened here.”
This is a developing story
