WWII explosives wash ashore Cape San Blas
CAPE SAN BLAS, Fla. (WJHG/WECP/Gray News) – An area with a deep history of military saw some of that history wash up on the shore.
Cries of “Fire in the hole,” could be heard as those with Tyndall Air Force Base blew up the find.
“The park service found what looked like mortars out in Cape San Blas,” said Master Sergeant Kenneth Guinn, a flight chief for Tyndall Air Force Base’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal Flight.
The St. Joseph Peninsula State Park rangers actually found about 100 pounds of corroded munition.
“We went out there and ended up finding illumination rifle grenades from World War II,” said Guinn.
Tyndall Air Force Base’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians took their talents to the Cape to get rid of this vintage ammo.
“We actually bring C4 out there and dispose of them on-site,” said Guinn.
They say something like this resurfacing is more common than you might expect.
“Tyndall Air Force Base used to be like a World War II training ground for a bunch of different jobs, so it’s not too uncommon that we find old ordnances that wash up on the beach,” said Guinn.
The EOD techs told us the recent weather might be the cause as to why these ordnances are now showing up.
“A combination of Michael and then that tropical storm that came through a month or so ago just washed the sand away,” said Ostberg.
If you find something that might look like an explosive to you, these EOD techs have one tip.
“Call the police. Then they’ll call us,” said Ostberg.
The EOD techs had to conduct two different disposals because they uncovered more ordnances. There was a blast Monday night around 7:30 and then another Tuesday around noon.