2 explosives wash ashore in Daytona Beach Shores

Two explosive devices washed up in Daytona Beach Shores, Florida, just days apart.  Police say, in both situations, it could have been extremely dangerous.

“It was a dumb thing to do, I guess if I had to do it over I’d do it differently,” said John Schneider, who discovered the pipe bomb on Thursday.

In hindsight, Schneider, from Indiana, says he probably shouldn’t have carried a pipe bomb into his hotel after finding it along the beach Thursday.

“I was actually waiting for a lifeguard or a cop or something like that to give it to them or show them where it was at, and nobody came along, it was pretty deserted out here yesterday so I thought well I'll carry it back,” Schneider said.
 
He told the front desk at the Sunglow Resort to call police.  Daytona Beach Shores Police posted video of the massive response Thursday night.  Officers immediately evacuated the first floor of the hotel and called in the bomb squad.

“The pipe bomb was disposed of last night, confirmed that it was an explosive, and they detonated it,” said. Lt. Michael Fowler of the Daytona Beach Shore Police Department.

On Tuesday, a flare was found about a mile from where the pipe bomb was discovered. 

“It was possible that it could have gone off, and when it goes off it goes off with an explosion and burns around 2,000 degrees,” Fowler said.

Police believe the high tide coincidentally pushed in both explosives just a few days apart, they warn residents that handling them can be deadly.
 
“What we would ask is that if somebody finds something that they believe is suspicious or is explosive, leave it in place, notify authorities and let them handle it,” Fowler said.

The flare was turned over to Patrick Air Force Base, and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office has taken possession of that pipe bomb.