NEW SMYRNA BEACH — The afternoon was quiet near the Mary McLeod Bethune Beach Park on May 29, as cloudy skies gave beachgoers a break from the sun.
But for those who might have been at the beach the previous night, the view of the sky a few miles to the south was anything but ordinary.
Though just miles away from Cape Canaveral, the bright orange haze resulting from the explosion of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket was not only noticeable but an incredible sight even for those up the coast in Volusia County.
The majority of beachgoers at Bethune Beach Park that afternoon had heard about the incident. But many were not yet aware of county officials’ warning not to touch, remove or attempt to recover any debris from the explosion, which could wash ashore in Volusia County or other beach areas in the coming days.
And even though no debris had been found at the beach by that afternoon, some beachgoers did catch a glimpse of the sky ablaze.
Blue Origin explosion ‘lit up the entire sky’ in New Smyrna Beach
Todd Isley, his wife, Tara, and their family are vacationing in New Smyrna Beach from Georgia, staying at a beachside condo on Atlantic Avenue.
Isley said he and some others from the group were hanging out at the beach at the time of the explosion.
“I wish I would have been phone-ready — I mean, it lit up the entire sky down there,” Todd Isley said as he pointed southward with his hands.
“It was crazy,” he said.
Tara Isley, who was also with the group, said the weather was overcast, with the moon “hidden by the clouds.”
“And then suddenly, the sky lit up down there — it was beautiful,” Tara Isley said, adding that they “weren’t sure what happened.”
The sight, though striking, lasted only for a few seconds, she said.
“It was like the light switch turned on,” she said. “It was bright and beautiful, even though it was an explosion.”
Tara Isley’s mother, Wanda Crane, said she and her family are frequent vacationers in New Smyrna Beach.
“You never know what you are going to see on this beach,” she said, adding that she and her family will keep an eye out for future launches.
But Crane said she is not tempted to keep a piece of debris from the rocket if she comes across one at the beach.
“I’m not going to touch it. I’m going to call 911,” she said.
Officials suggest calling 911 if the debris poses an immediate danger to public safety. Read on for more tips on what to do if you find debris from the wreckage.
What happened with the Blue Origin rocket?
A Blue Origin rocket exploded on the launch pad at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on May 28.
A 320-foot New Glenn rocket was undergoing an engine “hotfire test” at Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station when it exploded on the pad about 9 p.m. The incident was quickly followed by an announcement there was no threat to the general public.
But U.S. Space Force officials said debris from the explosion could wash ashore and “post health risks.”
There were no injuries or fatalities, and no threat to the general public, officials announced.
The rocket was expected to soon launch 48 Amazon Leo broadband satellites into low-Earth orbit, although no launch date had been announced.
What to do if you find debris from Blue Origin rocket explosion?
Here’s what you should do, according to Volusia Beach Safety:
“Your cooperation helps ensure the safety of the public and allows trained personnel to properly assess and recover any debris,” Beach Safety stated.
News-Journal reporter Sheldon Gardner, FLORIDA TODAY’s space reporter Rick Neale and USA Today Network-Florida’s Cheryl McCloud contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Watch visitor detail how Blue Origin explosion ‘lit up the sky’ in NSB
Reporting by Brenno Carillo, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
