A practice bomb from the second world war era washed up on a California beach after rising tides and larger waves hit much of the area over the holiday weekend.
The rusted device was found on New Year’s Eve along the coast of the Pajaro dunes in Santa Cruz county, about 22 miles (35km) south of Santa Cruz.
Technicians from the Santa Cruz county sheriff’s bomb team first responded to a call about the device found on the beach, the county’s sheriff office posted on Facebook.
“The recent storms washed up what was determined to be an inert military ordnance!” read the post. “As a precaution our bomb team responded, deemed it safe, and had it removed from the beach.”
Due to the bomb’s size and condition, personnel with the Travis air force base in Fairfield, California, also inspected the bomb, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Conducting a visual inspection and an X-ray scan, and according to the New York Times, officials later determined that the bomb was actually an “inert military ordnance” or a practice bomb from the 1960s.
The specific bomb found was identified as a Mk15 Mod 2 practice bomb used by the US navy, the LA Times reported. Such devices were used for training, but do not contain explosives. They are typically filled with sand or water, the New York Times reported.
The practice bomb was removed by Travis air force base personnel and taken to the base in Fairfield.
Ashley Keehn, a spokesman for the Santa Cruz county sheriff’s office, told the Times that the beached practice bomb showed how powerful the tides in the surrounding area have been.
“This ordnance washing up on shore goes to show the intensity of the high surf we saw in Santa Cruz county this past week,” Keehn told the publication.
The latest discovery comes as California’s coast saw giant waves during the holiday weekend – some as tall as 30ft.
Eight people required hospital treatment amid the intense high surf.
Several towns along the California coastline were also under evacuation orders, and residents were ordered to avoid local beaches due to hazardous conditions.
The National Weather Service issued a warning, saying: “Stay away from rocks, jetties, piers, and other waterside infrastructure. Never turn your back to the ocean!”
