Unfired 4-foot rocket found in woods near Vanceboro

VANCEBORO -- A man strolling through woods on his property discovered a 4-foot-long practice rocket and turned it over to Craven County Fire Marshal Stanley Kite on Sunday morning.

Kite said the the unfired rocket  was in woods on the man's property at 1700 Piney Neck Road.

"I was at the store and the man came up to me and said he had something he wanted me to see," Kite said.

Kite followed the man to his house and examined the rocket.

He said someone had taken out the fuel propellant.

He said the rocket "had some age on it."

Kite said the practice rocket is fired from aircraft or helicopters.

He does not know how it got on the property or where it came from.

He called the Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit at Cherry Point to take the rocket away.

"There is a number on it; Cherry Point can trace the rocket," Kite said.

 "Anytime residents find something like this or a cannon ball, they should call the Craven County fire marshal," he said.

The phone number is 636-6608.