Officials say a 128-foot-long blimp that broke loose from its moorings at the Ohio State University airport in high winds was later found about two miles away in a back yard.
Ohio state police spokesman Lt. Rudy Zupanc said the blimp was found by a homeowner in Worthington just after 7:30 a.m. Sunday, more than seven hours after strong winds lifted it from the airfield.
“The only thing it did, it knocked my bird feeder down,” said 94-year-old Worthington resident Lillian Bernhagen.
Bernhagen said she heard a “bang” earlier in the morning, but she assumed it was just a storm blowing through, 10TV’s Glenn McEntyre reported.
“There was a clap of thunder, so I just turned over and went back to sleep,” she said with a laugh.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol says no one was aboard the Hangar 1 Vodka blimp when it broke loose and drifted eastward from the airfield.
The blimp is on a tour of eastern and Midwest cities, according to the Hangar One Vodka website.
The distiller that produces Hangar One Vodka, St. George Spirits of Alameda, Calif., did not immediately respond to phone calls early Sunday.
The blimp’s crew said the aircraft was severely damaged in the crash, McEntyre reported.
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Blimp Blown From Ohio State Airfield Found Nearby
A 128-foot-long blimp that broke loose from its moorings at the Ohio State University airport in high winds was later found about two miles away in a Worthington yard.
