Video Shows Moment Chinese Balloon Brought Down Over South Carolina
The US Department of Defense (DoD) said fighter aircraft successfully brought down a high altitude surveillance balloon launched by and belonging to China off the coast of South Carolina on February 4.
Footage by Paul Inman filmed in Conway, near Myrtle Beach, shows the moment an aircraft fired a missile towards a white object in the sky, which then begins to fall.
President Joe Biden told reporters he “ordered the Pentagon to shoot it down on Wednesday, as soon as possible,” but explained that officials felt it was best to take the balloon down when it was over water.
The DoD said the balloon was being used by China in an attempt to surveil strategic sites in the continental US. The craft was safely taken down over US territorial waters, according to officials. Credit: Paul Inman via Storyful
Video transcript
[WIND BLOWING]
- Plane's going right for it.
- [INAUDIBLE]
Watch out.
[DOG BARKS]
Really? Oh, really?
- Yeah, I got it on video.
- Oh, you did?
- I did.
- Where is it?
- Right over there.
- Oh, well.
- Is it falling right now?
- That plane just had a strike.
- I don't see the balloon anymore.
- I just got it on video. All right, the balloon is gone.
[BOOM]
Oh.
- Whoa. Did you hear that? Is there any still video?
- I am still videoing. This is-- the sound just hit us.
- Oh, crap. The video just shot it down. That was amazing.
Kim has a video. When she's done with the video, I'll send it to you. Do you think that's it floating right there?
- I do.
- But I don't think it's moving. It's just kind of hovering.
- Holy--
- It's still video. I'm not going to stop.
