Bomb squad detonates explosives found in Terra Ceia mangroves

Residents of Terra Ceia in Manatee County may have heard several loud explosions early Sunday morning.

It wasn’t the Bradenton Area River Regatta winding down; it was the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office bomb squad detonating explosives.

A homeowner in the Terra Ceia area found an unusual looking PVC pipe in the mangroves behind his home on Saturday, according to the sheriff’s office.

The pipe was capped on both ends, and when the man cut into the pipe with a chainsaw he found small cylinders containing a brownish powder inside. He then notified the sheriff’s office of his discovery.

Deputies and hazmat team members responded to the home and determined that the pipe contained explosives.

The bomb squad then transported the pipe to a farm off of Buckeye Road and safely detonated the explosives.

The blasts occurred between 12:30 a.m. and 1 a.m., according to the sheriff’s office.

The sheriff’s office says that the pipe and its explosive contents may have been used years ago when forming the channels around Terra Ceia Bay.

“Let us know if you see another one that looks like this,” read a statement from the sheriff’s office with a picture of the long, muddy pipe.

This story was originally published February 10, 2019 at 12:04 PM with the headline "Bomb squad detonates explosives found in Terra Ceia mangroves."