Coconut, Pieces of Metal Cause Bomb Scare

Homes were evacuated and a bomb squad cleared the beach Sunday after a suspicious item was found along the Hermosa Beach shoreline.

But officers later found that a coconut was at the root of the problem, and the item has been declared safe.

Police said a beachgoer called 911 after finding the item around 2:24 p.m., prompting officers and firefighters to respond.

The officials decided that the item was suspicious enough to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department bomb squad.

Homes located on the Strand near the item, which was found in the 2900 block, were evacuated as well as the surrounding beach area within 500 meters of the item.

Once the bomb squad arrived at the beach, the suspicious item was detonated in place, police said. The squad determined that the item was not an explosive device—it was several pieces of metal and a coconut duct-taped together.

"Theory is the item was a homemade fishing anchor washed up on the beach during the recent high surf the South Bay has been experiencing," said Sgt. Robert Higgins in a statement Sunday.

Were you evacuated during the bomb scare?