WASHINGTON – President Biden was briefly evacuated Saturday from his beach home in Rehoboth Beach, Del., after a small private plane accidentally flew into restricted airspace, according to reports. White House and Secret Service officials.
Mr. Biden arrived at Rehoboth Beach on Thursday night and is expected to return to the White House on Sunday. Officials said the president was not in danger in the incident.
A White House official told reporters that Mr. Biden and the first lady were briefly evacuated and then returned to their residences.
“A small private plane entered restricted airspace, all indications were by mistake and precautions were taken,” the official said. “There is no threat to the president or his family.”
Steve Kopek, a spokesman for the Secret Service, said that the plane entered restricted airspace shortly before 1 p.m. Saturday.
“The plane was immediately escorted out of restricted airspace,” Mr Kopek said in a statement. He did not provide further details, but several people in the area tweeted that they saw two military jets flying overhead at the same time.
Officials did not provide details about Biden’s evacuation. But there are public reports that his convoy was seen driving into a local fire station on Saturday afternoon, and then seen leaving the station about half an hour later. Rehoboth Avenue, a major commercial thoroughfare, was briefly closed, people said on Twitter.
Officials only said that precautions were taken.
Mr. Kopek said it appeared the pilot of the small plane was unaware of the president’s presence in Delaware and of the airspace restrictions that came with it.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the pilot was not on the appropriate radio channel, was not following the NOTAMS (Notice to Airline Officers) that was filed, and was not following published flight instructions,” he said in a statement. declare. “The US Secret Service will interview the pilot.”
Mr. Biden owns a $2.7 million beach house in the North Shores, an affluent neighborhood one mile north of town. He bought the house in 2017 and regularly uses it for vacations and short weekend visits.
