The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department blew up an unusual package in Redondo Beach Tuesday afternoon, when a container marked as military surplus explosives was discovered in the water by Redondo Beach Harbor Patrol. The controlled detonation took place at about 1 p.m.
The 18-inch square container was found around 10 a.m., about 200 yards offshore by Harbor Patrol, according to the Redondo Beach Police Department. An x-ray of the device by the LASD Bomb Squad couldn’t confirm whether or not there was an explosive device inside the box, according to RBPD Sgt. Shawn Freeman. In order to render the container safe, the bomb squad blew up the device with a small explosive.
A small crowd of onlookers set up nearby to watch the proceedings, just off of Sapphire Street and the Esplanade, after hearing and seeing the commotion. Resident Bob Dillon said he had been watching RBPD, the Redondo Beach Fire Department and the L.A. County Bomb Squad for the about 45 minutes prior to the explosion.
“They dragged it over by wire, dug a hole, put it in, covered it with sand and blew it up,” Dillon said. “Once I knew they were going to blow it up, I decided to stick around.”
Though onlookers were unimpressed by the size and sound of the explosion (“M-80s are louder than that,” one man said as he walked away,) the operation was considered a success. RBPD began reopening the walkways above the detonation site within minutes.
According to Freeman, the box is believed to have been in the ocean for about a month, based on barnacle growth outside of the box. Inside, there was only foam packaging, “and some fish,” he said.
Investigators have yet to determine the source of the container, Freeman said.
