Gérardmer Lake, France Gérardmer Lake, located in the Vosges mountains of eastern France, contains significant amounts of UXO from both World Wars and the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. Water samples from the lake reveal elevated levels of TNT and heavy metals like iron, titanium, and lead. While the lake is a popular destination for swimming, it also serves as a source of drinking water source for the local community.
Shetland, Scotland A bomb disposal team was called to Shetland after a suspected unexploded sea mine was discovered by a mussel farmer. It was found on the northwest coast of the island of Yell.
His Majesty's Coastguard confirmed that teams were on the scene near Grimister to secure the area while awaiting a Ministry of Defence EOD team to dispose of the ordnance.
Looe Harbor, England The Coastguard, police and a Royal Navy EOD team were all called to Looe Harbor after a suspected UXO was reported on a fishing trawler. A British Navy spokesperson released a press release which stated in part, "The item was discovered to be an inert drill mine which is identical in size and shape to the real thing and was unable to be initially identified due to the age and deteriorated state of the item."
The device was taken out to sea by EOD to a location south of the Plymouth Breakwater for a controlled underwater explosion by Royal Navy divers from HMNB Devonport.
Sile, Istanbul A swimmer discovered 28 unexploded artillery shells in the Black Sea, off Istanbul's northern district of Sile. The man reportedly noticed some metal objects in the sea and reported the situation to the gendarmerie.
A statement from Istanbul Governor's Office said that investigations conducted by the underwater defense forces confirmed the metal objects were unexploded artillery shells. The report also confirmed that a diving team retrieved eight of the objects.
"At least 28 pieces of ammunition were detected. Out of the identified munitions, eight of them were safely brought ashore," the office said in a written statement.
Underwater forces continue to sweep the area, the statement continued, and disposal of the munitions will be carried out "after necessary safety measures have been taken."
The coastline will remain closed until the disposal process is complete. There was no explanation as to the source or exact identification of the munitions.
Copenhagen, Denmark The Danish Energy Agency has completed its recovery operation of an object on the seafloor by the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in the Baltic Sea. Denmark's Armed Forces reported that the salvage operation, which took place in 73 meter-depth waters, resulted in a munition find. Upon further review and examination, the munition was identified as 'an empty smoke buoy' which posed no explosive threat. The item was properly disposed of following the proper identification.
Darwin Harbour, Australia A specialist dive team is conducting a complex operation to remove a suspected UXO that may have sat on the sea floor of Darwin Harbour for 80 years.
The Royal Australian Navy's Clearance Diving Team One was deployed to Darwin to retrieve the munition, suspected to be a WWII mortar shell. The 60-80 centimeters long item was discovered by commercial divers during a survey of the planned site of the Darwin Ship Lift project.
A Defence spokesperson said a team of five divers were using sonar equipment to search for the "unexploded ordnance" after failing to locate it on previous attempts.
Liverpool, England Looking for lost sunglasses may be a common summer pastime, but one man's search for his led to a not-so-common discovery. While searching for his sunglasses that accidentally dropped in a lake at Greenbank Park in Liverpool, the man found an unexploded WWII bomb.
The find sparked a major police and Army response as the area was cordoned off for what police confirmed was indeed an "unexploded ordnance device" in the park.
Social media was buzzing about the activity in the park. One person said, "My brother was fishing and his sunglasses fell in the lake. They fished them out amongst a few bottles and a bomb! The Army have just detonated it, if you heard a bang?"
In a statement a spokesperson for Merseyside police said, "We can confirm that an item reported to what is believed to be an unexploded ordnance device was found in Greenbank Park yesterday Officers were called to the scene...after a member of the public reported finding the device in the park's lake. The area was cordoned off while the Army's EOD made a controlled explosion of the item. We thank members of the public for their patience while the incident was dealt with."
Ardrossan, Scotland Bomb disposal experts were called to Ardrossan after a phosphorus flare that was found washed up on the town's beach earlier was brought back to a home in the area. Witnesses reported a heavy police presence including fire engines, ambulance, and EOD from Faslane who were there to assist with the dangerous situation.
A spokesperson from Police Scotland said, "We received a call around 11.15pm relating to an item that was found on Ardrossan beach and had been taken to an address on Park View, Ardrossan. Officers alongside Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) attended. The item requires further examination and enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances."
The suspected UXO is thought to be part of an estimated million and a half tons of war surplus that was decommissioned at the second-biggest military port of Cairnryan after WWII and later dumped at sea around the West coast of Scotland.
People have been requested to stay vigilant and avoid picking up any strange objects on the beach, and instead, alert the coastguard on 999.
Lna»i, Hawaii Aquatic biologists from the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) conducted rapid SCUBA dive assessments of reefs and the marine environment in the area surrounding three UXO found by recreational divers off Lna»i's south shore.
Navy EOD team confirmed the locations of the UXO, about 300 yards offshore, in water 74 to 94-feet deep. EOD confirmed that the munitions are likely WWII-era.
Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida Easter Sunday beachgoers were forced to clear out from an area of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea after a potential UXO washed ashore. The large device, marked with the word "inert", was discovered by a Broward Sheriff's Office (BSO) deputy.
The deputy blocked off a section of the beach and called in additional BSO deputies, the bomb squad, and members of the U.S. Air Force to inspect the item. The munition was determined to be an inert military sea mine training device and was safely removed from the shore.
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