ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — An Air Force bomb squad safely detonated a barnacle-encrusted bomb that washed ashore on St. Pete Beach over the weekend.
A spokesman for Mac Dill Air Force base said the object was a photoflash bomb, used to aid WWII-era night photographic missions.
A beachgoer found the old bomb while combing the shoreline Sunday morning and alerted authorities.
Raw: WWII-era bomb detonated on beach
That call triggered a daylong effort to evacuate beachgoers and homeowners, build a sand berm around the bomb, protect hatching sea turtles and safely detonate the M122 flare where it was found.
"We're taking the time necessary to make a thorough analysis of what it was that was found and also making sure we're responding to keep people and the environment safe through this process," said St. Pete Beach Mayor Maria Lowe.
Officials established a 900-foot safety perimeter, before expanding the barrier to about 1,400 feet on each side prior to the bomb going off around 5 p.m.
St. Pete Beach Mayor Maria Lowe says about 25 homes were evacuated and 250 beachgoers displaced.
WFTV
