Since the balloon was observed shot down and splashing down by eyeballs on the beach into known shallow waters, it’s reasonable to accept that the water was towards 40-50 some feet deep.
If this logic doesn’t work for you…. Research it out yourself. Location is off Myrtle Beach, SC. Adequate coastal and fishing charts for this purpose are available online.
Your logic is impeccable!
For what it’s worth I was questioning the apparent contradiction between the post “...the payload was likely lost for good” and that the balloon apparently came down in 48 feet of water.
And I understand that rough seas are hampering the recovery of the payload. I have to think that recovery of an object at a depth, even one the ‘size of a bus’ is well within the capability of our Navy divers.
But do you look forward to learning from the government what this balloon was actually doing?