Beachgoers stand clear after strange object washes ashore on Fripp. Here’s what it was
The Atlantic Ocean deposited a strange-looking canister onto the beach at Fripp Island Thursday, prompting a response from law enforcement and even the Marines.
“Do not handle, contains phosphorous, contact police or military,” a label on the canister said.
The unknown object caught the attention of a Fripp Island beachgoer, who contacted security, who notified the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, who called the Marines, according to a Sheriff’s Office incident report.
Another label on the canister indicated it came from the “Air Station,” an apparent reference to the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, the East Coast hub for the Marine Corps’ fixed-wing, fighter-attack aircraft.
The Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort clarified what the object was to the Beaufort Gazette and Island Packet on Friday.
The device was an 18-by-3-inch Mk 25 Mod 4 Marine Marker, used for training exercises and marking paths or locations over water, the Marines said.
They are typically dropped from helicopters, such as the HH-3 Sea King, rather than fighter jets. The markers utilize red phosphorus.
The Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Marines from MCAS Beaufort responded to the scene, led by Staff Sgt. Don T. Jackson and Sgt. Ellis S. Eller.
The munition was already expended and designated as a waste military munition. The MCAS EOD team safely recovered it and transported it back to MCAS Beaufort, where it has been inducted into the Ordnance Library to be used for future training purposes.
The Marines said they could not speculate on how this specific marker was originally deployed before washing ashore. But it is not uncommon for historical or expended ordnance to occasionally wash ashore in coastal communities. Historically, various types of ordnance have washed up on shores over the years, with some items found in the region dating back as far as the Civil War.
A person walking on the beach at the gated barrier island and resort community found the item, which they reported looked like a military explosive device.
A deputy responded and met with Fripp Island security to walk the beach in an attempt to locate the object.
Unsure whether the device was an explosive or “live,” people on the beach were advised to keep 100 feet away from the canister.
The discovery of the military device comes four months after a beloved dog died after swallowing a large fish hook on the beach at Harbor Island.
It also comes as area governments are considering bans on the release of plastic balloons that increasingly are washing ashore on area beaches, threatening wildlife.
