A Volusia County woman out for an early-morning walk on the beach made a startling discovery Monday when she came across canister on the beach that read "Flammable, do not handle," and "Notify police or military."

Gail Mansour found the canister on the sand along the 3500 block of Ocean Shore Boulevard, in Ormond-By-The-Sea. It read:

Flammable

Do not handle
Contains Phosphorus
May cause serious burns
Notify police or military.

"First, I kicked it up a little bit where I could read it, because the tide was taking it back," Mansour said. "Then I read one side which said, 'Launch this side,' so then I just left it and called the police."

The canister was a military flare, according Volusia Beach Safety and Ocean Rescue Deputy Chief Scott Petersohn, who said the device contains material that can be harmful if the canister is shaken.

"Now I wish I hadn't (kicked it)," Mansour said.

Petersohn said canisters like the one Mansour found wash up on the beach every once in a while, usually after a rocket launch — like SpaceX's Falcon 9 launch early Sunday from Cape Canaveral.

Officials said this particular cannister originated from Patrick Air Force Base, in Brevard County.

Beach Safety says if you find a canister like this, you should stay away from it and call 911 right away.

Petersohn said officers from Patrick Air Force Base in Brevard County would likely retrieve the canister, as they have in the past.