According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, photoflash bombs were dropped by military aircraft and detonated in the air to produce light for photographs, according to a description on MIT’s website.
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As a result of the bomb’s early Sunday morning discovery, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office forced the evacuation of the beach in the area of the bomb and homes along the beach side of Sunset Way from 22nd Avenue to 28th Avenue were also evacuated, WTSP 10 News reported.
The person reported it to the authorities. Deputies described the object as being approximately 4 feet in length, cylindrical and having a cone shaped cap on one side. It too was covered in barnacles and appeared to have been submerged for an extended period of time.
As a precaution, deputies evacuated the beach area and set up a 300-yard perimeter.
Next, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad examined the object, which they said may be a military ordnance (a term for ammunition and weapons). HCSO crews determined that the object may be of military ordinance and called MacDill Air Force Base crews.
St. Pete Beach Mayor Maria Lowe says about 25 homes were evacuated and 250 beachgoers displaced.
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A little after 5 p.m., a bolt of black and gray smoke burst from the ground, followed by a tiresome cannon thud and the screeching of seagulls wheeling away from the blast.
