OCEAN CITY — An otherwise perfect Springfest weekend in Ocean City was temporarily disrupted last Friday when a citizen reported an unidentified individual had placed a suspicious package under a Boardwalk bench and left the scene, resulting in a temporary cordoning off of the immediate area and an Ocean City Bomb Squad response.

Around 1:45 p.m. last Friday, a private citizen observed an unidentified individual place a package under a bench on the south end of the Boardwalk adjacent to the festival area and then leave the area. The Ocean City Police Department and the Ocean City Fire Department responded and cleared the area as a precaution.

The OCPD set up a perimeter and secured the area until the Ocean City Fire Marshal’s Office arrived. Bomb technicians then x-rayed the package and determined it was safe. The area was closed for roughly 40 minutes during the investigation.