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From: "Pat Dugan" <>
Subject: [Melungeon] Runaway Balloon / Austin American-Statesman, Apr. 1, 2002
Date: Mon, 1 Apr 2002 18:48:10 -0600


Runaway balloon tethered near Lake Buchanan

By Amanda Zamora
American-Statesman Staff


A giant balloon that tore down power lines and caused heads to turn in
wonder in Burnett County on Saturday remained tethered but unmoved Sunday.

"It was very unusual," Sheriff Joe Pollock said Sunday. "It was hitting
high power lines around Lake Buchanan. My deputies told me it was smashing
into those lines and sparks were going everywhere."

Pollock said it took more than 30 people to rein in and deflate the
helium-filled U.S. Air Force radar balloon, which resembled a blimp and
estimated by some to be as long as 100 feet.

Lockheed Martin officials had taken over the site where the deflated craft
remained Sunday, Pollack said, and a helicopter might be used to remove it.

Pollock said he was told the balloon originated from Rio Grande City and
had been tracked through several counties before officials caught its cables
and wound them around trees near Silver Creek Village on the northeast edge
of Lake Buchanan.

The sheriff's office, the Pedernales Electric Cooperative and the East Lake
Volunteer Fire Department were in contact with the Air Force as they worked
to stop the runaway craft, using a shotgun, crane trucks and limb cutters to
deflate the thick, rubbery canvas.

Dale Cockle, who operates the Walkabout Emu Ranch eight miles west of
Burnet with his wife, said he saw the balloon drifting slowly near his home
off Hoover Valley Road at about 8:30a.m.

The balloon had broken a utility pole about 1,000 feet away and left Cockle
without power until about 4p.m.

As Cockle tended to his animals and consulted with utility repair workers
installing a pole near his home, the balloon drifted on toward Lake
Buchanan. Cockle said he'd heard that volunteer firemen had the tethers
hooked up to their truck at one point, but the balloon started dragging it
across a field.

Sheriff's officials said there were no fires or injuries. At least some
residents were without power for much of Saturday, but an electric company
spokesman said they had no estimate of the extent of damage to power lines.




Pat Dugan



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