Officials at U.S. Northern Command of the Department of Defense are being tight lipped about a U.S. Navy vessel that was found on the beach in the Cherry Grove area Thursday morning.
This after a Chinese Spy Balloon was shot down over Surfside Beach last Saturday.
The hover craft can travel as easy on land as at sea. It was built to carry heavy cargo, including large M1 Abrams Tanks.
Posts of the LCAC flooded area social all morning long.
White House takes some heat
President Joe Biden has been faulted by some in Washington for not ordering the Chinese Spy balloon be shot down before it made its way across the U.S.
In response, White House officials have said there was concern about damage to people on the ground, and Biden addressed the issue on Monday.
“Once it came over to the United States, from Canada, I told the Defense Department I wanted to shoot it down as soon as it was appropriate,” Biden said. The military concluded “we should not shoot it down over land, it was not a serious threat.”
The debris from the balloon largely floated north and is still not fully recovered from the ocean.
On Thursday, February 9, a U.S. Department of Defense briefing by Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Big. Gen. Pat Ryder stated.
“USNORTHCOM continues their recovery operations in support of the recent takedown of the Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon. As of today, recovery operations of the balloon and the payload continue without issue. Sea states Tuesday permitted divers and explosives ordnance technicians to conduct underwater salvage and recovery, and underwater survey activities continue using unmanned underwater vehicles. The USS Carter Hall remains in the vicinity of the debris field and is leading the recovery efforts. US Coast Guard cutters continue to provide security, and the FBI and NCIS agents continue their work cataloguing debris and transporting it for further processing.“
“Again, we remind members of the public, if you come across debris, please do not handle it, but call your local law enforcement to facilitate safe recovery. Additional information on recovery operations will be forthcoming.“