BUXTON, N.C. (WAVY) — A piece of unexploded ordnance found on the beach Thursday morning near the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Beach Access parking area in Buxton has been detonated.
The National Park Service says a safety perimeter of about a half-mile was established around the object and a U.S. Navy explosive ordnance team from Norfolk was called to investigate.
After the crew arrived, the team determined that the object was a live military ordnance, a 100-pound aerial bomb from the World War II era.
The detonation was scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday, but was delayed due to a nearby house fire.
The unexploded ordnance was buried deep in the beach near the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Beach Access parking area. Around 12:30 p.m., a 3-person U.S. Navy explosive ordnance disposal team from Norfolk successfully detonated it. They reported, “that there was a dull thud and sand tossed into the air approximately 60 feet.” They used a combination of explosives, including C-4.
Old military devices are not out of the ordinary on North Carolina’s beaches, said National Parks of Eastern North Carolina Superintendent David Hallac in a press release.
“Cape Hatteras National Seashore visitors should always be on the lookout for beach hazards, especially during and after periods of rough surf.”
All areas previously closed because of this have since reopened.
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