St. Pete Beach evacuated after WWII-era flash bomb found

Author: associated press
Published: Updated:

ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. (AP) – An Air Force bomb squad has safely detonated a barnacle-encrusted bomb that washed ashore on St. Pete Beach.

A spokesman for Mac Dill Air Force base says the object was a photoflash bomb, used to aid WWII-era night photographic missions.

A beachgoer found the old bomb while combing the shoreline Sunday morning and alerted authorities.

That call triggered a daylong effort to evacuate beachgoers and homeowners, build a sand berm around the bomb, protect hatching sea turtles and safely detonate the M122 flare where it was found.

Officials established a 900-foot safety perimeter, before expanding the barrier to about 1,400 feet on each side prior to the bomb going off around 5 p.m.

St. Pete Beach Mayor Maria Lowe says about 25 homes were evacuated and 250 beachgoers displaced.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.