Report of Unidentified Flying Object — Horry County, South Carolina, January 1953

This document details an Air Intelligence Information Report concerning a UFO sighting by Lloyd C. Booth, a 29-year-old ex-serviceman and resident of Conway, South Carolina. On the night of January 29, 1953, Booth reported observing a large, dull gray, oblong-shaped object hovering approximately ten feet above the tree line near his property. Booth, who was investigating a disturbance among his livestock, described the object as having a low humming sound and a wheel-like structure on its underside. After observing the craft for approximately twenty minutes, Booth fired a .22 caliber pistol at it. He reported that the bullet struck the object with a metallic sound, causing it to accelerate rapidly and depart at an estimated speed of 700 miles per hour. The report includes detailed physical descriptions of the craft, including its size (12 by 24 feet) and the presence of cockpit-like features. Following the incident, Booth faced significant public attention, and his account was featured in local newspapers. The investigation, conducted by 2d Lt. Earl M. Crouch, included interviews with neighbors and local officials who vouched for Booth's character and integrity. The official conclusion reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center and the investigating officer was that the object was likely a Navy blimp. This conclusion was supported by information from the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) control tower at Bluethenthal Field, which indicated that three Navy blimps were in the area at the time of the sighting, traveling from Glynco, Georgia, to Weeksville, North Carolina. The report notes that while Booth rejected the possibility of it being a blimp based on his military experience with aircraft, the official finding remained that the sighting was likely a misidentified Navy vessel. The document also mentions a secondary, unrelated investigation into the mysterious deaths of cattle in the area, which had occurred around the same time, though no direct link to the sighting was established.