Bomb threat screws up Nantucket ferry boats - a 2-part story

The Cape Cod Times ^ | 7/18/05 | David Schoetz

[islander-11]

Bomb threat strands 170 Nantucket visitors

HYANNIS - A bomb threat called in to Hy-Line Cruises Sunday night put a freeze on all ferry travel in and out of Nantucket, stranding at least 170 people on the island while officials scoured vessels and luggage in search of explosives.

No evidence of bombs was found in the search and the investigation into the origin of the threat continues today.

The call came in to the boat line's Nantucket ticket office at 8 p.m. from an adult male who gave an unspecific threat about a Hy-Line vessel blowing up if it left the Nantucket port, a Hy-Line vice-president said.

Between 30 and 40 of the stranded riders spent the night in the Nantucket High School gymnasium, where they slept on cots and ate donuts and peanut butter sandwiches. Others stayed at local motels or with friends.

The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority was also forced to cancel at least one trip from the island to Hyannis Sunday night.

Ferry service for both boat lines resumed Monday morning.

Passengers - some weary from a night on the gym floor and others rushing to get to work - arrived back in Hyannis Harbor on the Hy-Line's high-speed boat Grey Lady this morning.

[islander-11]

This threat caused a ton of problems for a lot of people. Planes weren't flying due to fog, so once this happened, people were stuck. Stand by for Part 2 - the Happy Ending!

[islander-11]

http://www.capecodonline.com/cctimes/threearrests19.htm

Part 2 - the arrests... (Excerpt)

Three arrests made after ferry bomb scare
By DAVID SCHOETZ
STAFF WRITER
HYANNIS - Authorities were holding three suspects last night they believe phoned in the bomb threat that temporarily froze ferry traffic in and out of Nantucket Sunday night.

Police identified two 17-year-olds, Brenden Reed, a male from West Suffield, Conn., and Brett Williams, a female from Bloomfield, Conn., as suspects. They also arrested a 16-year-old Nantucket resident, whose identity was not released.

The three were charged last night with transmitting a false bomb threat.

The hoax stranded more than 200 people on the island overnight while officials scoured vessels and luggage for explosives. The search produced no evidence of a bomb.

The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force joined the Coast Guard and local and state police in the investigation yesterday. A press release issued by the Nantucket Police Department last night indicated authorities acted on community tips to apprehend the suspects.

The two 17-year-olds were fleeing the island by ferry when Barnstable police assisted, meeting the pair in Hyannis Harbor and returning them to Nantucket where they were taken into custody, a Nantucket police officer added.

[JRios1968]

There once were some dorks in Nantucket...