Neighbors Shocked When Giant Google Balloon Falls From Sky Onto Quiet SoCal Street
MOUNTAIN VIEW (CBS) -- A giant Google research balloon caused quite a shock for some Southern California neighbors when it fell out of the sky onto a quiet street in Chino Hills.
The fifty foot balloon crash-landed in a palm tree.
Janet Olaffson didn't realize it had fallen in her front yard until she got a knock on the door from the local sheriff's deputies.
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"We ran out, and the police said don't go near it," she said. "At that time they had got a call from the company that said it's a weather balloon," said Olaffson.
Curious neighbors came to see it by the droves -- driving by, snapping photos. Rumors began to circulate. Some speculated it was a weather balloon traveling from Las Vegas to Japan.
In fact, the orb that fell from the sky belongs to Project Loon. It's part of a research and development idea to deliver 3-G Internet access. Mountain View-based Google launched the project in partnership with the government of Sri Lanka.
The goal is for these high altitude balloons -- called Loon Balloons -- to someday transmit signals to people all over the world, so people can "Google" from anywhere, including Chino hills.
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But according to Google, the Loon Balloon was supposed to land nearby -- not at Olaffson's house.
Fortunately, no one was hurt.