Military ‘training bomb’ washes up in California

The huge waves that pounded the California coast last week washed up trash, driftwood and something unexpected: a very old bomb, rusted and covered in debris.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff Office bomb squad was called in around 2 p.m. Sunday to inspect “inert military munitions” found at Pajaro Dunes, about 20 miles southeast of the city of Santa Cruz. spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office, said in an email.

Officers determined the bomb was inert using X-rays, she said, adding that it was believed to be a military “training bomb” from the 1960s. Such bombs were often filled with water or sand and used for target practice.

Due to its size and poor condition, personnel from nearby Travis Air Force Base were called in to remove the bomb, she said. Base representatives were not immediately available for comment.

“These munitions washing ashore show the intensity of the high surf we have seen in Santa Cruz County over the past week,” Ms. Keehn said.

She added that it was not unusual for military weapons and equipment to wash up on Santa Cruz’s shores.

Researchers have estimated that between the 1940s and the 1970s, millions of pounds of unused bombs were dumped into the ocean off the coasts of several U.S. states.

Experts have long raised concerns that these bombs could pose serious risks by becoming entangled in fishing nets, washing up on shore or leaking chemicals and toxins into the water.