Massive California surf deposits decades-old military bomb on central coast beach
The Santa Cruz Sheriff's Office Bomb Team believe the ordnance may be a “practice bomb" from the 1960s.
Massive waves battering California coast
Western storms churned up huge surf, up to 30 foot swells, battering the California coast. Meteorologist Ian Oliver takes a look at the impressive wave heights.
PAJARO DUNES, Calif. – A strange object washed ashore in the aftermath of massive surf along the California beaches last week.
The Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office Bomb Team responded to a call on the afternoon of New Year’s Eve about an inert military ordnance found on the beaches of Pajaro Dunes in central California.
After using radiology photos to scan the device, bomb technicians determined it was inert and inactive.
The military bomb, which is also referred to as an ordnance.
(Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office / FOX Weather)
The Bomb Team believe the ordnance may be a "practice bomb" from the 1960s.
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Due to the size of the ordnance and its degraded state, Travis Air Force Base was called to assist, the Sheriff’s Office noted. The Air Force base team then removed the bomb for future destruction.
The Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office said they see old military ordinances wash up every few years, and they occasionally see sea flares uncovered.
Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office Bomb Team responds to the military ordnance.
(Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office / FOX Weather)
"Sharing what our Bomb Team does and the different type of calls they respond to helps the community get a better understanding of how diverse our Sheriff’s Office is," said Ashley Keehn, public information officer with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office. "It also shows the importance of having the type of technology to be able to respond to these kinds of calls."
Waves reached 20 feet or more along Santa Cruz County beaches
The bomb was carried onshore as intense, high surf pummeled Santa Cruz County last week.
Monster waves crush California beach town
Monster wave after wave clobber the Capitola Pier and crash onto local businesses along the beach. Take a look at the inches of seafoam that look more like snow left behind.
Repeated storms have churned up the waters of the Pacific, creating waves of 20 feet or greater.
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In the Santa Cruz County town of Capitola, beachgoers had to scramble to run away from the advancing waters.
Watch: Onlookers run from surprisingly large wave
Locals in Capitola, California taking photos of the huge surf were surprised when the water crashed onto them. "Before anyone says anything, right after a bigger wave came, everyone was asked to leave and evacuate the Esplanade," posted the photographer on Facebook. "The cops were making sure everyone was safe. No one got injured due to the waves, at least no one near us. Shortly after this video, everyone received the evacuation notices and the cops evacuated anyone near."
Eight people were injured when a massive wave suddenly came ashore in Ventura County.
This week, large waves have returned to the Golden State's shoreline, as High Surf Advisories are in place from San Diego to San Francisco through Thursday night.