Fisherman Snags Missile During Fishing Trip

Panama City, Florida A 37-year old man fishing 50 miles off the coast of Panama City in the Gulf of Mexico caught more than just fish when he pulled in a missile. The man reportedly kept the eight-foot long missile strapped to roof of his boat for 10 days before returning to port in Madeira Beach, near St. Petersburg.

When the man reported the find to police, they responded with a civilian bomb squad. After confirming that the item was military ordnance, the bomb squad called the EOD unit from MacDill AFB for technical support.

EOD identified the corroded missile as a live AIM-9. EOD rendered the missile safe in a nearby parking lot before transporting it off-site for proper disposal. The Air Force reported that the missile most likely came from a training exercise conducted in August 2004 by the 53rd weapons evaluation group based out of Tyndall AFB.

A local Florida news station covering the story interviewed the man who reportedly stated - "I had it strapped to the roof of my boat as we rode through lightning storms.....I wasn't scared."