Three ‘pipe-bomb-like’ devices found on Ohio River boats this week, officials say
Three possibly explosive devices were found on Ohio River boats this week, West Virginia State Police said.
Federal law enforcement called the devices “pipe-bomb-like” but didn’t rule out that they could also be “hoax devices,” WOWK reported.
Authorities responded to reports of a “suspicious item” found on a barge on the Ohio River on Tuesday, WSAZ reported.
The device was safely removed after the U.S. Coast Guard closed an area of the river around midnight, according to the outlet.
Two suspicious devices were also safely removed from a tugboat Monday near Williamstown, West Virginia, police told WTAP.
State police are working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to investigate why and who put the devices on the boats, the outlet reported.
Officials are also investigating a fourth device found Oct. 21 on a barge near St. Marys in Pleasants County, West Virginia, according WOWK.
The device was deemed safe and removed from the barge, the West Virginia State Police Explosive Response Team said, according to the outlet.
The Ohio River is 981 miles long — and flows through or borders six states, including West Virginia, according to the Ohio River Foundation.
This story was originally published October 27, 2021 at 5:34 PM with the headline "Three ‘pipe-bomb-like’ devices found on Ohio River boats this week, officials say."
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