Updated Nov 18, 2008 - 6:38 pm

Threat reported on Bremerton ferry

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A man called 911 just after 12:30 p.m. to report that he overheard two men at a convenience store discussing a terrorist threat against a Bremerton ferry.

The ferry Hyak was just leaving Bremerton for Seattle and was ordered back to the terminal, where it was immediately off-loaded, said State Patrol Trooper Krista Hedstrom. The threat did not appear to be credible, she said, but officials were acting in an abundance of caution.

The terminal was evacuated, roads leading to it were closed and nearby businesses were alerted. Officials rerouted Bremerton ferry traffic to Bainbridge Island until after a bomb squad search turned up no explosives at the ferry or terminal.

The number of passengers aboard the ferry and in the terminal was not immediately known.

The caller refused to give his name, Hedstrom said.

"He called and said, 'I overheard two males talking about a terrorist threat on the next ferry leaving Bremerton,'" Hedstrom said. "When we tried to get more information about the conversation, that's when we lost the call."

The 911 operator did not have a number to call him back, she said.

Three Coast Guard boats responded, said Petty Officer Shawn Eggert, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said it was monitoring the situation.

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• Dave K. wrote...

  Anonymous calls

  If the threat were real I would think this caller would have been willing to identify himself. If the ferry system is shut down for every anonymous bomb threat the copycats are going to have a field day. Given how the phone call is described in this story I think they should have treated it as a hoax from the beginning.

  November 19, 2008 6:54 am

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• Stephanie_S wrote...

  It looks like the "terrorist" was sucessful

  After all, the ensuing disruption of ferry service, lost business and time, frayed nerves, man-power output of police, all of the above are unstated goals to all terrorist activities. Prank, Hoax, whatever, If every time someone cries wolf and we send out the forces eventually everyone is going ignore the real wolf. I agree with Dave K they need to use better judgment when it comes to this stuff.

  November 19, 2008 8:08 am

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