The launch pad at the U.S. Coast Guard station at Isla Blanca Park now sits empty.

Cliff Blumenthal was in the area visiting from Washington State to see SpaceX’s scheduled eight test flight of the Starship rocket.

The launch was postponed, but Blumenthal and other spectators got another show instead.

“The aerostat is flopping in the air about 200 feet above our heads, and it's making a loud noise — it sounds like lightning,” Blumenthal said.

According to a statement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the aerostat that’s tethered to the U.S. Coast Guard station broke free due to severe winds Monday at around 3:15 p.m.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Severe wind causes aerostat to break free at South Padre Island

Blumenthal said the cable attached to the aerostat was dragging on the ground and hit several power lines before the surveillance system floated away.

On Tuesday, the aerostat was found 30 miles east of Dallas in Hunt County, nearly 500 miles from the Rio Grande Valley.

WFAA-TV, the ABC affiliate in Dallas, provided video to Channel 5 News that shows the aerostat crash-landed on a property surrounded by trees and power lines. 

The Tethered Aerostat Radar System carries cameras, and detects and tracks a majority of suspicious air traffic and any aircraft threats within a range of 200 miles. It was put on the island in 2022 to respond to the increase in illegal traffic being seen at the island.

A similar system was also lost back in 2018 due to high winds.

An investigation is now underway to a better understanding why the tether snapped. Officials have not said if the system will be replaced.

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