Quick Take:
Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said the large military device that washed up at Pajaro Dunes was believed to be a practice bomb from the 1960s. Members of the Travis Air Force Base removed it from the beach.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office bomb team went out to Pajaro Dunes on Sunday to respond to an unusual report — something resembling a large explosive had washed up on the shore during last week’s stormy weather. It turns out that object was, in fact, an inactive military ordnance.
An ordnance is a general term for any weapon, equipment, or appliance used in combat.
Ashley Keehn, spokesperson for the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, said that the call came in around 1:20 p.m. on Sunday, and that bomb team technicians determined that the ordnance was inactive after taking a look at radiology pictures of the item.
The team then contacted Travis Air Force Base personnel, who removed the device from the beach due to its “size and degraded state.” She said that the object is believed to be a practice bomb from the 1960s – a piece of artillery without explosive capabilities designed for training.
“Every few years, we will see military ordnances wash up and occasionally we see sea flares uncovered,” she said.