thedrifter
06-13-06, 06:20 AM
Marines Search Beach for Washed-Up Syringes
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
June 13, 2006
Marines from Camp Pendleton searched the beach here Monday looking for sealed plastic wrappers containing syringes with the drug atropine.
About 145 of the packages washed up on shore Sunday and were turned over to officials.
The syringes are issued to troops in Iraq. Atropine is used to counteract the effects of chemical nerve agents.
Ellie
thedrifter
06-15-06, 05:49 AM
June 14, 2006
Source of syringes found on beach sought
By Brian Gartlan
Times staff writer
Camp Pendleton, Calif., officials announced Monday that 145 military issued syringes were found on Oceanside’s beach over the weekend.
The syringes, which were found unopened, contained the drug atropine and were sealed in individual plastic wrappers, according to a June 13 Pendleton press release. Officials are still searching for the owners of them.
The syringes were initially reported on Sunday morning to the Oceanside Police Department, which notified Camp Pendleton at about 2:30 p.m. Military police then transported the syringes to the base for disposal, the release said.
Oceanside Police Department Sgt. Leonard Mata said the syringes were found at about 6:30 a.m. Sunday by about 10 people walking on the beach who turned them over to life guards.
“There was a significant amount (of needles),” Mata said.
Although there was a small area where beachgoers found as many as 30 or 40 syringes, Mata said most of the needles were spread out along the shore.
The police, with the help of some other people on the beach, carefully cleared the beach of syringes.
Staff Sgt. Nathaniel Garcia, a Camp Pendleton spokesman, said 10 Marines later searched Oceanside Beach from about one mile north and south of the Oceanside Pier, but they found no needles.
Garcia said the syringes “could have washed up from anywhere,” and base personnel are trying to track them by the serial numbers on the syringes.
“Safety of Oceanside residents and local beach goers is paramount,” said Col. James B. Seaton III, Pendleton’s commanding officer, in a statement.
Ellie