WWII Era Sea Mine Found By Divers

Dorset, England Commercial divers working in just over 60 feet of water in Swanage Bay found a munition item on the sea bed. The munition was located approximately 1-mile offshore from Ballard Point. The divers called the Coastguard who responded and set up an exclusion zone around the area before calling in a British Royal Navy EOD team for support. A Royal Navy EOD team from Devonport Naval Base responded to provide technical support to the munitions discovery.

EOD identified the UXO as a 300kg WWII era live German sea mine. EOD conducted an underwater controlled detonation to dispose of the hazard after establishing an exclusion zone over a mile in diameter around the item. The disposal detonation created a large water plume that rose more than 150 feet into the air. The exclusion zone was lifted following the successful disposal operation.