By ,
Published May 03, 2016
A Florida beach and several nearby homes were evacuated Sunday after a beach goer spotted a military ordnance floating in the surf, MyFoxTampaBay reported.
Military personnel have determined the item is a World War 2-era M122 photoflash bomb, according to a tweet from MyFox photographer Jonathan Galed. Explosive ordnance disposal specialists from MacDill Air Force Base were set to detonate the weapon, Galed said.
Photoflash bombs are intended to detonate above ground, creating a bright light to assist in the taking of nighttime aerial photographs.
A person walking along St. Petersburg Beach alerted authorities after seeing a large cylindrical object in the water near the 22nd Ave. beach access, Pinellas County deputies said. The object, which deputies said was covered in barnacles, was about four feet in length and had a cone-shaped cap on one side.
The beach area was evacuated and deputies set up a 300-yard perimeter.
“We are operating at this point with an abundance of caution to make sure everyone is protected and safe,” St. Pete Beach Mayor Maria Lowe told reporters, according to the Tampa Bay Times. “The most important thing to know is everyone is here that needs to be here to make sure that the beach is kept safe.”
https://www.foxnews.com/us/ww2-era-military-ordnance-spotted-in-florida-surf