PORT TOWNSEND — It was a false alarm.
A metal object found buried by a person walking on North Beach originally was suspected to be old ammunition.
At first glance, Port Townsend Sgt. Troy Surber believed the device to be “something from an earlier war and could be an unexploded ordnance.”
State Patrol bomb technicians, who were called along with East Jefferson Fire-Rescue, arrived at 3 p.m. and within 45 minutes had determined it was not a live explosive.
Bomb technicians Keith Nester and John Ryan dug up a portion of the item to take back to the lab for X-ray analysis.
On further inspection of the area, officers found that a rather large metal object was buried in the sand, but said that it does not pose any danger to the public.
“From all appearances, this is not an explosive device. We have found old World War II ordnance here in the past, but this isn’t something like that,” Sgt. Jason Greenspane said.
Keppie Keplinger, Port Townsend Police Department public information officer, said the call was received at about 1 p.m..
Until it was known what the object was, the area was cleared and secured. It was reopened at about 3:45 p.m.
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Jefferson County Editor/Reporter Jeannie McMacken can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jmcmacken@peninsuladaily news.com.
Port Townsend Police Sgt. Garin Williams holds a piece of an object that was found on North Beach Tuesday afternoon. (Jeannie McMacken/Peninsula Daily News)
