Manatee Homeowner Finds Explosives

TERRA CEIA, FL -- A Manatee County homeowner got a surprise over the weekend when he used a chainsaw to cut into a PVC pipe that he found in the mangroves behind his house.

"The homeowner had removed a large PVC pipe, capped on both ends, from the mangroves behind his house," explained Randy Warren of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office. "Once he opened portions of the pipe with a chainsaw, he discovered smaller cylinders inside containing a brownish power."

That's when the sheriff's office was called out to the man's home around 6 p.m. Saturday in the 400 block of Horseshow Loop.

"After thorough examination, deputies and HAZMAT determined the pipe contained explosives," said Warren. "The Bomb Squad transported the explosives to a nearby farm off Buckeye Road and conducted a safe detonation."

Warren told Patch it was risky for the homeowner to use a saw on the pipe but he was not injured. People in the area might have heard the blasts between 12:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday morning.

"It’s believed the pipe and its explosive contents may have been used years ago when forming the channels around Terra Ceia Bay," Warren said.

Photo courtesy Manatee County Sheriff's Office