Unexploded Ordnance Discovered During Garden City Beach Renourishment

Crews working on the Grand Strand beach renourishment project recovered a piece of unexploded military ordnance on Wednesday afternoon, July 29, 2026. According to Dylan Burnell with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the historical item was brought up by an offshore dredge operating along the shoreline just south of the Garden City Pier.

The discovery occurred as heavy machinery pumped sand onto the beach to rebuild dunes and widen the shore. Beach renourishment projects along the South Carolina coast periodically uncover historic artifacts and legacy military munitions that have rested on the ocean floor for decades. Specialized safety protocols are routinely triggered whenever suspicious metallic or explosive items are retrieved by dredging equipment.

The incident highlights the need for continued caution by field workers, residents, and beachgoers in active work zones. Work sites surrounding the Garden City Pier remain strictly controlled while federal authorities and military ordnance experts inspect and safely manage recovered items.

Visitors and residents in Garden City and surrounding Grand Strand beaches should always keep a clear distance from heavy dredging machinery and pipe outlets. If you spot a suspicious metallic object or potential legacy ordnance on the strand, do not touch or move it. Immediately report the item to local law enforcement or beach patrol personnel so explosive safety teams can respond.