Camper Picks Up Military Flare

Fair Haven, New York A camper walking along the shore of Lake Ontario found an 18 inch long 3 inch round metal cylinder which appeared to have washed ashore. Curious as to what the item was, the man picked it up to read the warning label on the item which stated, "To arm rotate cover to armed position. To disarm rotate cover to safe position.'' The warning however was apparently not enough of an incentive for the man to call and report the find. Instead, the man carried the item back to his RV about a mile away.

When he reached his RV, the man used his lap top and wireless connection to search the internet in an effort to identify what his newly found treasure was. After a few minutes of research, the man became concerned that the item he found may be a military flare. He then decided to call the police to report the find. The police responded with a bomb squad team for technical support. The bomb squad identified the item as a live Canadian military flare that contained white phosphorus. The bomb squad confiscated the item from the camper and safely transported it away from the recreational area for proper disposal.

The police reported that two other military flares similar to one found by the man were also recovered from the area. Authorities suspect the flares were the result of recent military training exercises conducted in and around the lake. The police issued a warning to the public using the recreational facilities to report and suspicious finds by calling 911.