Foul play was not the cause of a mysterious light that shone toward U.S. Air Force planes flying in airspace above Howell Township on Thursday night, authorities said.
Originally, staff at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst thought a green laser might be pointing at the sky. They reached out to Howell Township police to figure out the source of the light and if it was a safety threat.
The story was first reported by the Asbury Park Press.
The Air Force suggested the laser was coming from the Manasquan Reservoir area, said Sgt. Nicholas Bondarew, reading the report of the incident. Once a Howell police officer arrived on the shore of the reservoir, he could see a green light shining from the water, about 40 yards from shore.
The local park ranger and the Squankum Fire Company soon arrived. Making their way across the ice, members of the fire company’s dive team retrieved “a green light-up fishing lure,” Bondarew said.
The Howell team called McGuire Air Force base to report their findings.
“It ended up being nothing. Thank God,” Bondarew said.
