Vernon Resident Witnesses Chinese Balloon In 'Danger Zone'

VERNON, CT — A Vernon resident witnessed U.S. warplanes shoot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon Saturday off the coast of South Carolina.

Skylar Goold is a student at Coastal Carolina University in Myrtle Beach and the president of the school's Social Justice Club. Goold said she was driving back to her college residence Saturday after serving meals at a local shelter when she noticed something floating in the sky.

"I looked up and saw the balloon. At first I thought it may have escaped from a birthday party, but then I said said, 'wait, that's the Chinese balloon,'" Goold said.

She then noticed two vapor trails heading on a path toward the white sphere in the sky.

"I looked at them and realized they were fighter jets and said, "'they're going to shoot that down,'" Goold said. "I had to stop and watch."

Goold said she was not alone. Several motorists also parked to watch the maneuvers. It all turned in to a roadside party, reminiscent of the rocket launches to the moon in the 1960s. Music from the fighter-jet themed movie "Top Gun" started playing, she said.

"There was this guy behind me in a very large truck," Goold said. "He put on 'Danger Zone,' and people were cheering," Goold said. "It was definitely a celebration."

Alas, the destroyed ballon eventually floated into the Atlantic Ocean and the hooting and hollering subsided, Goold said. But she was quick to add it was something she never anticipated seeing.

"Fighter jets shooting down a Chinese spy balloon? Never," she said. "Oh ... it was pretty crazy."