Coast Guard officials responded Tuesday afternoon to reports of an unexploded mine floating in the Puget Sound east of Brownsville Marina in Kitsap County.

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Officials said a 1,500-yard safety zone was established around the rusty, round object, which had rods protruding from it, as it drifted south.

A 5,000-foot temporary flight restriction zone was also established in the area as investigators and divers examined the ordnance.

A photo of the rusty, floating mine in Puget Sound.
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Brownsville is located a few miles south of Naval Base Kitsap, Keyport's torpedo testing range.

An inspection of the object showed decades of marine growth, according to The Associated Press.

The Navy secured the mine with a long line and began towing it Tuesday afternoon with a small boat, the AP reported.

KIRO7 and Cox Media Group Producer Shelby Lin Erdman contributed to this report.