Wednesday, July 29-Explosive Device Causes Beach Scare

OCEAN CITY – A section of the beach was evacuated yesterday afternoon after a visitor recovered a suspicious device believed to have explosive capabilities.

On Tuesday, at approximately 1:50 p.m., members of the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) and the town’s Fire and Bomb Squad responded to 40th Street and the beach, in reference to a report of a pipe bomb.

According to police, the suspicious device was located by a citizen and reported to the Ocean City Beach Patrol, which then called police.

The area was evacuated for about an hour while Ocean City Bomb Squad technicians, using robotic equipment, removed the suspicious item from the beach.

The Bomb Squad took the item to a location outside of Ocean City. The suspicious item was examined by bomb technicians and determined to be an improvised explosive device, which was then rendered safe.

The Ocean City Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the incident.

In a press release issued yesterday, Ocean City police applaud the observant citizen’s actions. The OCPD reminds citizens to notify police anytime they discover any suspicious device or object. Under no circumstances should the device be handled or manipulated. These objects are unpredictable. Homemade or military type devices are extremely unstable when exposed to the sand and salt water and may explode without warning. 

For all the news of the week, see The Dispatch on Friday morning.