A surveillance blimp from U.S. Customs and Border Protection was dislodged by high winds in South Padre Island, Texas, and drifted nearly 600 miles before landing in Dallas. This incident began when strong wind gusts of up to 30 mph caused the blimp to break free around 3 p.m. Operators lost contact with it promptly. Local authorities were soon alerted to its location by firefighters, who found the blimp entangled in power lines, leading to the involvement of a towing company for its recovery.
The blimp, which was about 200 feet long, broke free from its tether just after 3 p.m. Monday during a severe wind event, resulting in a 600-mile journey across Texas.
Chief Ryan Biggers of the South Hunt County Fire Rescue expressed his confusion upon receiving a call from Border Patrol seeking help with recovering the blimp, stating he couldn't initially identify it.
Jake Cunningham from Benson Bros. Wrecker Service recounted the unusual operation, remarking on their familiarity with strange recovery calls, ultimately employing a 60-ton rotator for the task.
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