PARKSVILLE — The RCMP’s explosives unit was called to Oceanside for the first time after a suspicious bottle was found in Community Park.
Oceanside RCMP Cpl. Jesse Foreman said a bottle filled with red liquid, tightly secured by tape with something floating inside, was discovered in the park around 5:15 p.m. on Sunday, April 8.
After closing off the area, the RCMP explosive unit from the Lower Mainland was called in.
“It didn’t look like something that had just been discarded, it looked like something that somebody had made,” Foreman said.
The bottle was securely blown up around midnight.
“We’re unsure at this point whether it was legitimately something that could have blown up or whether it was just a prank,” Foreman said. “At first glance, I think it might have been a hoax, but not a funny one.”
Police are now looking for anyone who was in Community Park who possibly saw something.
“If somebody knows it was a joke, we would really like to find out…so we know in our hear-of-hearts it wasn’t any kind of actual explosive.”
Anyone with information is urged to call Oceanside RCMP or Crime Stoppers.
Story written by Spencer Sterritt
spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com