Police in Oregon last week warned local beachgoers about grenades that had washed on to the shore and appeared to still be able to explode.
The police department in the city of Newport issued a statement on Wednesday saying three separate grenades had somehow washed on to the beach there a day earlier.
Labeled M116A1, the grenades were white in color and cylindrical in shape, according to a photo of the unusual discovery that was shared by the department. The phrase “Warning: Explosive” was written on them in large red letters.
“If you encounter such a device, please do not handle or attempt to move it,” the police department said in its statement, which served as a warning to members of the public. “Call the police to report the device’s location.”
M116A1 grenades are used primarily to train soldiers because they simulate “battlefield noises and effects”, according to a company that provides the devices to the US army. It sparks what the company describes as a “simulated explosion” within six to 12 seconds of being deployed.
It was not immediately clear where the grenades found in Newport came from.
Explosives have been known to wash up on beaches before. In April 2021, a “sea mine” washed ashore on a Florida beach.
That device was labeled “inert”, which implied it could be used for training, the Miami news station WPLG reported.
Authorities ultimately took that device to the US air force so that it could be investigated further.
