Carolina Forest post office, Conway Medical Center open Friday after white powder scare
The Carolina Forest post office and all of Conway Medical Center were open as normal Friday after a 46-year-old man reported he received a threatening letter with a white powder inside and drove himself to the hospital, authorities said.
An investigation into the incident continued Friday and anyone with information about it can call the Horry County Police Department at 843-915-5350 or the local FBI office.
After testing, the powder was deemed be non-toxic, non-explosive and not dangerous, Horry County police Lt. Raul Denis said. The incident took about eight hours and the post office and hospital resumed their normal operations after 10 p.m. Thursday.
No one was hurt during the incident.
It began about 2 p.m. Thursday after the man drove himself to Conway Medical Center and reported he had been contaminated with white powder that was possibly dangerous, Denis said. The man reported he received a threatening letter with the substance inside.
Authorities locked down the hospital, isolated the man and began their decontamination process, said Julie Rajotte, Conway Medical Center spokeswoman.
Horry County police and other authorities also went to the Carolina Forest post office and quarantined employees and people there because the man reported he received the letter at the branch and left the envelope with some powder inside there, Denis said.
An exam of the man at the hospital found no visible symptoms and he was monitored and in stable condition during the incident, Rajotte said. No other patients were at risk, but entrances to the hospital’s emergency room, ambulance and patient services entrances were blocked during the incident.
Emergencies and ambulances were diverted to the north tower of the hospital during the incident.
“We appreciate the public’s patience during this time, as well as the individual’s prompt action to his possible exposure,” Rajotte said. “We would also like to express our appreciation to all of the agencies involved ... for quickly responding to and reporting on the safety of our patients and our community.”
In addition to numerous local authorities from Horry County, Conway, Myrtle Beach and the hospital, the state’s National Guard 43rd Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team from Columbia, agents with the State Law Enforcement Division, the FBI and the U.S. Postal Service responded to the incident.
Anyone with information about the incident or the letter can call a local FBI office or the Horry County Police Department.
Tonya Root: 843-444-1723, @tonyaroot
This story was originally published July 31, 2015 at 12:54 PM with the headline "Carolina Forest post office, Conway Medical Center open Friday after white powder scare."