HazMat Team Investigates Suspicious Substance

myCFnow and WKMG ^ | 10/09/01

[ksen]

HazMat Team Investigates Suspicious Substance
Man Says He Received Envelope Containing White Powder
Posted: 11:32 a.m. EDT October 9, 2001
Updated: 12:22 p.m. EDT October 9, 2001

BAREFOOT BAY, Fla. -- A man told Brevard County authorities Tuesday that he received an envelope containing a white powder two months ago, and he said that he hasn't felt well since opening the package, according to WKMG Local 6 News.

Brevard Authorities Investigate Suspicious Substance

The Brevard County bomb squad and Fire-Rescue HazMat team responded to 815 Laurel Cr. in Barefoot Bay after the man reported the incident.

The man said that he threw the envelope and its contents away, but said that there may be some powder left in his vacuum cleaner.

Stay with myCFnow.com and WKMG Local 6 News for more details.

Copyright 2001 by myCFnow.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[ksen]

I just received a phone call from my wife telling me about this. It was just on our local news. She is really scared since this is only about 30 minutes away. We are in Palm bay, FL.

Anyone hear anything else about this?

-ksen

[ksen]

Maybe the terrorists mailed these things out a couple of months ago hoping that the cases would start showing up soon after the attacks on the WTC and DC.

I think I need to sit down for a bit.

-ksen

[winodog]

I went shopping saturday, bought a bunch of stuff and was putting it away. I noticed a bunch of white powder on the table.I put my finger in it, smelled it and determined it was laundry soap from the tide I had bought.

Then I started reading about how the people in Florida recieved a letter with white powder in it that was like laundry soap. Now I know without a doubt that mine really was laundry soap,but it pops up in my mind everytime I read this stuff.

[squeegee boy]

Update from 12:37 on that web site: The man said that the envelope contained white powder and a star, and he said that he threw the package away shortly after receiving it. There may be some powder left in his vacuum cleaner, the man told Brevard County authorities. Authorities said that the man was taken to Holmes Regional Medical Center and put into isolation. But he was not listed as a patient at the hospital, according to Local 6 News. WKMG Local 6 News reporter Yvonne Martinez said that it appears that response teams are treating the situation as an anthrax scare, but officials would not confirm that. Why is he not listed as a patient? Where is the CDC?

[My Favorite Headache]

Keep me informed. My other residence and family is in Brevard. My son is there right now with his mom.

[Rodney King]

Not to be a jerk, but there is no doubt in my mind that there will be significant numbers of people who come forward with bogus stories about receving these letters in order to get attention. Just like there were a bunch of people who cried about losing their loved ones in the WTC when it turned out that they made the stories up. There are a lot of people out there (for some reason, usually women) who use events like these as opportunites to get people to feel sorry for them.

[ksen]

I am hoping that the man turns out to be someone who just wants attention and used the details from the attack on the American Media building for effect. (crossing my fingers)

-ksen

[ksen]

I don't think you are a jerk. I am hoping that your thought turns out to be the case.

-ksen

[Josephine]

Rodney, Rodney.....Can't we all just get along??

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Source please? This story might warrant its own thread.

[KillerWabbit]

Now I know without a doubt that mine really was laundry soap,but it pops up in my mind everytime I read this stuff.

You think you got problems, what about these guys:

[Eva]

There was a post two nights ago, about two separate, similar instances in the Palm Beach area. People opened letters containing white powder and began feeling sick. One said that the powder felt like it was burning her arm, though, that doesn't sound the same.

[Jennifer in Florida]

There is a NEW one now, here where I live in Naples, Florida:

HazMat teams investigate anthrax scare at two Naples locations

I don't know how to post as a new article, maybe somebody can do this for me?

[World'sGoneInsane]

This white powder in an envelope thing sounds like the jingleheimer or whatever it was internet hoax that was circulated a couple years back and has recently cropped up again. The CDC had to put a blurb on their site back then, because they received so many calls. I'm starting to wonder if someone turned this hoax into something real?!

[WyldKard]

Ummm..if this was really Anthrax...and the guy hasn't been feeling well for weeks..shouldn't he be quite dead by now? I have to wonder about this one. I really hope it's a fake.

[Lotabrain]

That was probably Sodium Hydroxide, the stuff that is used in Bleach.
In concentrated quantities, it turns skin into soap.