RODANTHE, N.C. — A vessel that washed ashore in Rodanthe on March 13 ended up being a lost U.S. Navy practice target boat.
The orange vessel was 16 feet long and had notes reporting it belonged to the U.S. Navy, specifically the Norfolk Naval Air Station, according to the News and Observer.
"The vessel is a target lost during a naval training exercise in February 2023 about 75 miles off the coast of Norfolk. NAWCAD’s Atlantic Targets and Marine Operations team followed their established procedures, searched for the unmanned vessel for five hours, and then notified the U.S. Coast Guard regarding the hazard to navigation," stated Brittany Dickerson with the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division.
Kyle Barniak told the News and Observer that he found it Monday, March 13, north of the Rodanthe Pier, and thought it was part of a house thatfell into the ocean earlier in the day.
The Navy retrieved the target from Austin's South Island Seafood & Vacuum Packing in Rodanthe, North Carolina on March 16, at 9:30 a.m.
