A “suspicious” bottle detonated by an RCMP explosives unit in Parksville’s Community Park early Monday morning, April 9, was not an explosive device, police confirmed Thurday.
In a news release, Oceanside RCMP said an investigation into the bottle has been completed and it had not been a threat to community safety. Police issued no other details on the nature of the substance or materials in the bottle.
The Oceanside RCMP were called to the park at 5:15 p.m. Sunday, April 8, to reports of a suspicious bottle. Upon attendance, officers located a plastic bottle with a taped lid that had been left abandoned near a swingset at the park’s Ventureland Playground, police said in a written release.
The bottle was filled with a “brightly coloured, unknown liquid and appeared to have something floating inside,” the RCMP release stated.
In an abundance of caution, the RCMP Explosives Disposal Unit (EDU) was called to attend from the Lower Mainland. The Parksville Volunteer Fire Department contributed resources to help secure the area. At around midnight, EDU officers used an explosive to detonate the bottle, police said in the release.
“At this point it is unknown whether the device was in fact something that was dangerous, or whether it was a hoax made to look like a homemade explosive,” said Cpl. Jesse Foreman, RCMP spokesperson. “Regardless, a lot of resources and stress resulted from the actions of someone — someone the RCMP would like to identify and speak with.”
Those with any information about this incident are asked to please call the Oceanside RCMP at 250-248-6111, or report anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-888-222-8477.
— NEWS staff and RCMP news release