Man Hospitalized After Discovering Dangerous Device At Middle School

A contractor doing work on the grounds of Odyssey Middle School had to be hospitalized after accidently igniting a dangerous phosphorus device in an area that was declared safe by the Army Corps of Engineers less than a week ago.

SLIDESHOW: Bombs Detonated On Campus Of Middle School

Channel 9 was first to find out about the discovery Sunday afternoon after Ray Skuta called and reported the incident. He said that the device had caught fire and that he tried to put it out. Channel 9 immediately called the Orlando Police Department and police and rescue crews quickly responded to the school to investigate.

Rescue crews rushed Skuta to the hospital to be treated for breathing problems and exposure to the chemicals. Channel 9 met with Skuta after he was released from Orlando Regional Medical Center after 8:00p.m. Sunday night.

Strange News Photos (LEFT) STRANGE PHOTOSView 99 PHOTOS of Strange News Dressed only in a hospital gown and a borrowed jacket, Skuta explained how firefighters stripped him, washed him down with a fire hose, and burned his clothing after he was exposed to the dangerous phosphorus chemical.

"I lost my blue jeans, my underwear, my belt, everything's gone," he said.

Skuta said that he was raking in preparation of laying concrete when he picked up what he thought was a piece of pottery just feet from the school's running track.

"I was just scraping it off and it started to smoke," he explained.

Six days ago, the Army Corps of Engineers declared the property safe and clear of all explosive devices after months of extensive work searching and detonating objects found on the old World War II bombing range. Sunday afternoon, the agency sent a spokesperson to the scene who explained that what Skuta found was an igniter for what would have been a four-pound incendiary bomb that still had phosphorus residue inside.

"The worker frankly was not following procedure, which was when he would have found the device was to walk away and let someone else look at it," spokesperson Mike Fulfert argued.

The Army Corps posted a security guard on the property to make sure no one else goes near the site, but were calling the situation a small scale event that won't affect classes on Monday.

"The kids are safe," Fulfert continued.

But Skuta, a grandfather of eight, said he doesn't trust those assurances.

"I'd be taking them out of school," he said.

The Army Corps said a contractor would be at the scene Monday to inspect the area where the device was found, but they don't plan to do any work until next weekend because they don't want to disrupt school.

Previous Stories: January 21, 2008: Army Corps Says They Can't Check For Bombs Under Classrooms January 21, 2008: More Bombs Found Near Odyssey Middle School Have Residents Concerned January 14, 2008: Buried Bombs Could Cause Orlando Homeowners To Lose Insurance January 8, 2008: Homeowners Taking Legal Action After Bombs Found At Nearby School January 7, 2008: Students Return To School With Remaining Explosives Fenced In January 5, 2008: More Munitions Detonated At Odyssey Middle School January 4, 2008: Army Corps To Detonate More Explosives Found At Middle School December 27, 2007: Army Corps Back On School Campus Looking For Bombs November 28, 2007: Another Bomb Found In Orlando Neighborhood November 19, 2007: Army Corps To Dig 2,000 Holes In Search For Bombs November 12, 2007: Lawmakers Want Army Corps To Expand Search For Old Bombs November 7, 2007: Explosive Discovery Expands Area Of Concern Near Bombing Range