Unidentified mysterious cylinder washes up on beach as police urge public to stay away
When you think of things washed up on a beach, some of the stories that have cropped up over the years includes jelly fish and sharks.
Of course, there are some more bizarre things that have cropped up in recent times, including a mysterious 'dragon' skull that washed up onto a UK beach last year.
Now, a rather strange thing has washed up onto a remote beach in Australia, with police trying to work out exactly what it is.
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On Sunday (16 July), local residents at Green Head, some 155 miles north of Perth, reported a mysterious gold-coloured cylinder.
The cylinder is estimated to be 2.5 metres long and 2.5 metres wide, while it is believed to have been made by metal.
Officials are currently guarding the large items until further facts regarding the origins of the cylinder are discovered.
In the meantime, beachgoers have been encouraged to stay away from the beach until the investigations have concluded.
Sky News Australia have stated the military have been called in to review video footage of the object, with rumours swirling as to what it could be.
The Australian Space Agency have said it could be a part of a foreign-launched rocket, though the details currently remain unclear.
"We are currently making enquiries related to this object located on a beach near Jurien Bay in Western Australia," the agency tweeted.
"The object could be from a foreign space launch vehicle and we are liaising with global counterparts who may be able to provide more information."
Western Australia police have said they do not believe the object originates from a commercial aircraft, as rumours linked in to the missing Malaysian MH370 flight.
Others also suggested it was linked to UFOs, though let's not go down that path, eh.
"We want to reassure the community that we are actively engaged in a collaborative effort with various state and federal agencies to determine the object’s origin and nature," WA police said in a statement.
"This measure has been taken to ensure the preservation of potential evidence and facilitate further expert examination."
Many locals were quick to spot the mysterious cylinder on their Sunday morning dog walks, with Garth Griffiths telling ABC News his neighbour alerted him to the beach find.
"A local lady and her partner discovered it just floating on the edge of the water and dragged it out with their four-wheel drive," he said.
"There were barnacles and marine life growing on it."
Callum Jones