Hundreds Of Hypodermic Needles Wash Up On Seattle Beach

POSTED: Thursday, August 12, 2004

UPDATED: 11:25 am CDT August 13, 2004

SEATTLE -- Hundreds of hypodermic needles were found washed ashore Friday afternoon at the popular beach at Alki Point in West Seattle.

Officials said the needles appear to pose little risk, because they were all capped and appeared to be unused.

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Still, Fire Department Battalion Chief Mike Walsh said health officials will be asked to examine the needles to make sure there's no risk of contamination.

The beach along the north shore of Alki Point was closed to the public. More than 200 needles had been found.

Police and firefighters picked up all they could find and put them in bio-hazard containers.

Officials don't know where the needles came from. There's speculation a box of syringes fell off a ship in Puget Sound. City park officials said they'll reopen the beach when they're sure it is safe.

Parks and Public Health -- Seattle & King County posted signs advising people to stay out of the water and away from the sand near the water.

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