Sgt. Robert Kegler says the suspicious device that shut down Forestbrook Road for six hours on Sunday was a fake.
"It was examined by our bomb squad and determined a false device," he said.
The package was "black in color enclosed box with a clear lid. The package contained a silver in color electronic device wired to two carbon dioxide cartridges which were attached to a small package wrapped in black duct tape, according to a police report.
From 1:00 p.m. to just before 7 p.m., the road was blocked to traffic between Brookgate Drive and McCormick Rd. while Horry County Police investigated.
Kegler says the suspicious device was found in a cornfield by a farmer. The bomb squad used a robot and an officer to find out more about the device.
Horry County Fire Rescue and Highway Patrol were on the scene as well.
Kegler says scenes like Sunday's are more common than we might think, and that's why the bomb squad is the busiest team in the police department's special operations division.
"They respond to all types of calls from the bomb threats that you see, incidents from yesterday, old military ordinances with this being where the airbase used to be. The bombing range, the dumping ground, we just come across across old military ordinances from time to time," he said.
Jan Mullins and her family live across the street on Forestbrook from the scene. She says they've lived in their home and have never seen anything like it in the 30 years they have lived there. Even with the false alarm, the family is a little shook up.
"It's kind of scary, especially after that event that happened in Colorado. You think oh what else is going to happen?," Mullins said.
