Magnet fisherman sparks alert by hauling WW2 bomb from river
A MAGNET fisherman sparked a bomb scare after pulling an unexploded Second World War device from a riverbed.
Aaron Lewis, 22, was magnet fishing on a quiet stretch of the River Severn in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, yesterday morning when he discovered the shell. Police set up a 160ft (50-metre) cordon around the area before the bomb was destroyed in a controlled blast by an army explosive ordnance disposal team.
The find was the latest in a string of discoveries linked to magnet fishing, a hobby that involves using powerful, specially designed magnets to sweep bodies of water for treasure.
Other recent finds have included a rusty submachine gun and unexploded hand grenades. In June, Martin Andrews, 43, and his son, Jack, 19, died while magnet fishing in Huddersfield after they fell into a canal.
Mr Lewis, from Cheltenham, said: “I’ve been magnet fishing for a couple of months now, but I’ve only ever pulled out things like old nails.
“I knew there was a possibility that I might one day pull out an old rifle or a knife or something, but I didn’t expect to pull out something that might actually go off. I was fairly shocked. I used to be really into World War Two when I was a kid, so I knew what it was straight away – it was clearly recognisable.
“I just left everything and got away from the bank of the river.”
The mortar, which measured approximately 10in by 3in, was detonated roughly three and a half hours after Mr Lewis pulled it from the water.
A Gloucestershire Constabulary spokesman said that the fire service and Severn Area Rescue Association were also called in to handle the situation.
Members of the public were urged to avoid the area, which is popular among dog walkers and anglers, during the scare.
The spokesman said: “We’d like to thank the local community for their cooperation throughout.”
The find follows a complaint by the Ministry of Defence in September that army “bomb squad” units were increasingly having to deal with incidents linked to magnet fishing.