A popular Hawaii beach has been reopened after a bomb scare at the weekend.
Police closed off the beach at Hanauma Bay for several hours after a suspicious item was found in the water.
Lifeguards conducting ocean safety training found a small cylindrical item, brought it ashore and alerted authorities.
The Oahu beach was evacuated for several hours while experts tried to identify the item, first thought to be unexploded ordnance.
It turned out to be a marine flare.
"Hawaii PD brought their SSD bomb squad in to help identify the object." said Jeoff Chang, Honolulu Fire Department Battalion Chief.
"There was no explosive hazard but there was a possible chemical hazard. HPD took the device to the naval shipyard to be disposed of," Chang added.
The beach was given the all-clear to reopen by mid-afternoon.
Hanauma Bay’s marine conservation area is highly popular among snorkelers and attracts up to one million visitors a year.
