MALIBU—On Sunday, July 12, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Bomb Squad and the Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit (EOD) responded to a report of a military ordnance that washed ashore at Tower 14 on Point Mugu State Beach.
The VC Sheriff’s Bomb Squad and Navy EOD identified the ordnance as a 1950s-era M20, also recognized as a ‘Super Bazooka,’ that still contained live explosives and was considered too dangerous to transport off-site.
After Point Mugu Beach was evacuated and brief road closures were enacted along Pacific Coast Highway near Tower 14, the M20 was safely detonated on the beach by the VC Bomb Squad and Navy EOD officials, according to KTLA5.
The VC Sheriff’s Bombsquad Instagram uploaded footage of the M20 detonation onto their public page, showing a plume of black smoke rising near Tower 14 on the empty beach.
A similar situation occurred July 9, 2024, when a separate unexploded military ordnance washed ashore on the same Mugu State Beach. The VC Sheriff and Navy EOD advise the public that beaches near military bases, such as the Naval Base Ventura County Point Mugu, are prone to the detection of military objects and ordinance washing ashore.
The VC bomb squad announced if anyone discovers something that looks like or resembles a bomb, immediately call 9-1-1 and evacuate the area.
By Megan Hanson