Forrest Beach in Queensland shut down after wild discovery
A beach in Queensland has been closed to the public after a mysterious object believed to be space debris was discovered washed ashore.
Authorities were called to Forrest Beach at around 2.25pm on Friday after “potentially toxic” debris was found on the sand.
The objects are thought to be debris from a crashed satellite, potentially containing hydrogel fuel, an environmentally friendly fuel commonly used to power orbital kit.
Following the discovery, the beach, located approximately 80 km north of Townsville, was closed by authorities while efforts were made to remove the debris.
Although this task has now been completed, the beach will be cordoned off until the source can be verified.
The Queensland fire service has confirmed that the objects spotted by beachgoers have been removed by experts.
“Emergency services, including Queensland Fire and Rescue, responded to Forrest Beach at around 4.15pm on Friday after multiple objects were found on the beach by members of the public who alerted local authorities,” a spokesman said.
“Queensland Fire and Rescue, including specialist scientific teams, bagged one of the objects last night and the other two this morning.
“The objects were safely placed in barrels.
“The area is safe and there is no risk to the public, but a 50-metre exclusion zone remains.”
As a safety precaution, the public is prohibited from entering the 50-foot area between Taylor’s Beach and the Forrest Beach boat ramp.
Research into accurate identification of objects continues.
