- Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Bomb Team Discovered Bomb on New Year’s Eve
- The device washed ashore in the Pajaro dunes after a huge high bank
- Determined safe and inspected by Travis Air Force Base
The age and origin of a bomb found washed up on the shores of California’s Pajaro Dunes has shocked beachgoers.
The explosives were discovered after high waves hit the coastline of Monterey Bay, 35 miles south of Santa Cruz, causing flooding in low-lying areas.
On Dec. 31, the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Bomb Team responded to a report of an object on the beach around 2 p.m.
Technicians with the Travis Air Force Base Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team determined through X-ray scanning that the device was a Mk15 Mod 2 practice bomb.
Officials inspected the device after the bombing team made it safe and later determined its age and the object’s purpose.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a Facebook post that it was a wayward weapon.
“Recent storms caused what was determined to be inert munitions to be washed ashore,” they wrote.
“As a precautionary measure, our bombing team responded and determined it was safe to remove it from the shore.”
“We would like to thank the Travis Air Force Base personnel who responded and recovered it.”
This bomb was developed for the U.S. Navy during World War II and manufactured in the 1960s.
by United States Naval Academy“This bomb is designed for training purposes and includes a working mechanism, but it does not contain explosives.”
“Every few years you’re going to see a military-grade weapon launched,” said Ashley Keene, a spokeswoman for the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office. Los Angeles Times.
“We occasionally see ocean flares exposed. This beach washing would be indicative of the intensity of the high waves we saw last week,” she added.
The bomb will be stored at Travis Air Force Base.
Facebook users could tag others to see posts and photos created by the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office.
“Ordnance, I choose this. A weapon is something like ammunition, and an ordinance is like a law,” Andrew Quist wrote when explaining the term in a Facebook post.
Other users enjoy “what the sea spits out” and hypothesize that the bomb is from World War II.
“A submarine torpedo was fired near the coast,” Sarah Curry commented.
The Daily Mail has contacted the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office for comment.