FarShores News

Posted Jan 29.02

Silver ball thought to be military device; occurrence has alarmed
residents before

OCEAN CITY A large silver ball found in the Assawoman Bay is likely a
military radar device similar to those that alarmed residents when
found two years ago, officials said Monday.

Bill Grube of Winward Drive said he found the basketball-sized object
Saturday after spotting a piece of orange material under his dock.

When I pulled it up, I realized the orange thing was a parachute, said
Grube, a north Ocean City resident. It had a large shiny steel ball
attached to it with about four or five ropes. From what I could make
out it looked like the label stated it was an ammunition device.

Grube, 60, a resort resident for 10 years, called the U.S. Coast Guard
station in Ocean City, which identified the object as military
ordinance, according to the police report. Coast Guard officials then
called police and the towns bomb squad.

Sam Villani, Ocean City fire marshal, said the ball was similar to
those recovered in West Ocean City two years ago.

At the time, several residents said they saw the balls being dropped
from black helicopters. Some residents believed the balls came from
the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization, which was testing the
Patriot missile defense system at the Ocean City Municipal Airport.

After months of speculation, officials from Patuxent River Naval Air
Station took responsibility for dropping the 32-ounce hollow aluminum
balls. Patuxent officials said the balls are routinely dropped near
shoreline areas and are tracked by radar as the wind carries them.

The balls are launched with a red string, an orange parachute and a
white helium balloon so they will land safely. About 12 balls are
launched each month, a procedure used for about 30 years, according to
a statement released in July 2000 by Patuxent officials. The devices
are commonly released by other sites using precision tracking radar,
officials said.

Patuxent officials said the spheres are harmless and that anyone
finding one of the balls is welcome to keep it or send it for
recycling with other aluminum products.

Story originally published by:
The Daily Times, Annapolis / MD | Anita Ferguson - Jan 29.02

From: UFOnet