One of Google’s Project Loon balloons landed in a mealie field in Libode on Sunday afternoon, causing quite a stir.
Emergency services, including a medical rescue chopper and police from Ngqeleni, were dispatched to Njiveni village to tend to what onlookers initially thought was a plane that had gone down.
A flickering red light from the unidentified flying object raised fears that it could explode at any moment.
An online search revealed that Project Loon was developed by Google to provide internet access to rural and remote areas.
According to www.google.com/loon: “Project Loon is a network of balloons travelling on the edge of space, designed to connect people in rural and remote areas, help fill coverage gaps, and bring people back online after disasters.”
The slightly oval balloons, when filled with helium, inflate to 15m wide and 12m tall. This is the second known landing in South Africa.
Traditional leader Jongusapho Bokleni witnessed the balloon coming down on his land.
“It contained several electronic components and had solar panels.
“It didn’t make any roaring sound, it just landed slowly on the ground. It seemed to be glowing,” said Bokleni. He called provincial health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo and reported the “crash”.
“A chopper was sent and it landed at St Barnabas Hospital not far from the crash in my yard.”
According to Bokleni, the balloon was bigger than his house.
“I have never in my life seen something as big as that, hence we first thought it was an aircraft.”
He said although no one was injured when it came down, some of his crop was damaged. When police arrived, they decided to deflate it.
Bokleni arranged for people to assist police to load it into the police van. It was taken to Ngqeleni police station for safekeeping.
Kupelo confirmed that he arranged for an air ambulance.
“Yes, I asked EMS to respond and they sent a chopper.
“We were afraid that people were injured after I was called by Chief Bokleni panicking about this crash of an unidentified flying object in his yard,” said Kupelo.
Kupelo and Bokleni were happy that the Google Project Loon balloon did not land on the road.
“The company should have exercised extra caution in whatever research they are engaged in.
“This could have caused serious injuries had it crashed on the road or rooftops and may have posed danger to both people and animals,” said Kupelo.
Bokleni said the balloon came down at about 1.45pm on Sunday.
The Daily Dispatch contacted a South African number listed for the Project Loon flight operations centre, but no answer was received.
An e-mail was sent to the address provided, but there was no response at time of writing yesterday.
Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Mzukisi Fatyela said: “We are going to call the people whose numbers appear on the panel.” — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
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Google balloon leaves Libode residents agog
Emergency services, including a medical rescue chopper and police from Ngqeleni, were dispatched to Njiveni village to tend to what onlookers initially thought was a plane that had gone down.
A flickering red light from the unidentified flying object raised fears that it could explode at any moment.
An online search revealed that Project Loon was developed by Google to provide internet access to rural and remote areas.
According to www.google.com/loon: “Project Loon is a network of balloons travelling on the edge of space, designed to connect people in rural and remote areas, help fill coverage gaps, and bring people back online after disasters.”
The slightly oval balloons, when filled with helium, inflate to 15m wide and 12m tall. This is the second known landing in South Africa.
Traditional leader Jongusapho Bokleni witnessed the balloon coming down on his land.
“It contained several electronic components and had solar panels.
“It didn’t make any roaring sound, it just landed slowly on the ground. It seemed to be glowing,” said Bokleni. He called provincial health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo and reported the “crash”.
“A chopper was sent and it landed at St Barnabas Hospital not far from the crash in my yard.”
According to Bokleni, the balloon was bigger than his house.
“I have never in my life seen something as big as that, hence we first thought it was an aircraft.”
He said although no one was injured when it came down, some of his crop was damaged. When police arrived, they decided to deflate it.
Bokleni arranged for people to assist police to load it into the police van. It was taken to Ngqeleni police station for safekeeping.
Kupelo confirmed that he arranged for an air ambulance.
“Yes, I asked EMS to respond and they sent a chopper.
“We were afraid that people were injured after I was called by Chief Bokleni panicking about this crash of an unidentified flying object in his yard,” said Kupelo.
Kupelo and Bokleni were happy that the Google Project Loon balloon did not land on the road.
“The company should have exercised extra caution in whatever research they are engaged in.
“This could have caused serious injuries had it crashed on the road or rooftops and may have posed danger to both people and animals,” said Kupelo.
Bokleni said the balloon came down at about 1.45pm on Sunday.
The Daily Dispatch contacted a South African number listed for the Project Loon flight operations centre, but no answer was received.
An e-mail was sent to the address provided, but there was no response at time of writing yesterday.
Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Mzukisi Fatyela said: “We are going to call the people whose numbers appear on the panel.” — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
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