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A World War II navy practice bomb found off the coast of California on New Year’s Eve is now in the possession of US Air Force officials and will remain in their possession to prevent any chance of ongoing concerns.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said the device was found in Pajaro Dunes after it was chucked up from the Pacific Ocean during recent storms. In a written statement, officials described the device as an “inert military ordnance”.

“As a precaution our bomb team responded, deemed it safe, and had it removed from the beach,” the Sheriff’s Office said.

The device was collected by Travis Air Force Base officials after it was determined to be free from explosive materials and once authorities conducted an on-site visual inspection and x-ray scan. It was then transported to the Air Force base.

“The item was determined to be a US WWII era Navy practice bomb, model Mk 15, Mod 2,” a spokesperson for the Air Force said. “It is currently being retained with Travis Explosive Ordnance Disposal and will remain in place,” the statement concluded.

The beach where the old bomb washed up was one of those evacuated last week because of huge waves created by strong storms in the Pacific Ocean.

Military hardware like bombs rarely wash ashore in the US, unlike Europe and Asia where bombing was much more common during conflicts.

But in 2002, the US Navy’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Detachment found an underwater field of discarded munitions off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii, reported Fox News.

In 2020, the military detonated two 100-pound World War II-era gravity bombs and removed other ordnance in the channel between Lanikai Beach and Mokulua North on Oahu, according to The Associated Press.

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