Liberty Island was evacuated Friday afternoon, as the National Park Service put visitors on boats back to Manhattan and halted ferries headed for the island.
United States Park Police received a bomb threat by phone around 11:30 a.m., claiming there was a suspicious package inside a locker, officials told CNN.
A bomb-sniffing dog with the Park Police did indicate something suspicious in a locker, and the NYPD bomb squad has been dispatched, CNN reports, though false positives from bomb-sniffing dogs are not uncommon.
Multiple ferries en route for the Statue of Liberty from Battery Park and Ellis Island returned to the ferry terminal, where passengers are waiting in long lines to receive refunds.
A passenger aboard a Statue Cruises vessel reported being on the water for about an hour before making the trip back.
The United States Park Police confirmed they are investigating the scene but could not confirm reports of a suspicious package at this time.
