UPDATE 3:44 p.m.: NORAD has confirmed that the military blimp that broke free from its tethering in Maryland has been reined in near an unoccupied area of Bloomsburg, Pa., reported NBC's Baltimore affiliate WBAL-TV. There are no reports of any injuries.
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One of the two Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System (JLENS) 'blimps' associated with the North American Aerospace Defense Command's (NORAD) surveillance of East Coast has broken free from it's tethering in Maryland and is now flying over Pennyslvania, NORAD spokesperson Lt. Joe Mavrocki. Cables attached to the blimp are causing power outages along its travels.
Mavrocki said two F-16 fighter jets from an Air National Guard base in Atlantic, N.J. are monitoring the unmanned aircraft, and in the meantime NORAD is working with the Federal Aviation Administration "to ensure air traffic safety," according to Mediaite.
The last status update indicated the 'blimp' was drifting at an altitude of 16,000 feet, with approximately 6,700 feet of cable trailing behind it.
The helium filled blimp measured at 243 feet in length detached from its morring at the Edgewood Area of the Aberdeen Proving Ground around 11:54 a.m, reported The Baltimore Sun. The aircraft was designed and manufactured by government contractor Raytheon to help patrol the United States' coastal borders.
NORAD spokseperson Michael Kucharek said the command was working with other agencies in order to safely recover the aerostat.
It's unclear what threat the drifting 'blimp' poses to the public, according to CNN, but authorities warned anyone who sees the blimp to maintain a safe distance and dial 911.
