12/05/2023 Regno Unito, (UK), Inghilterra, (England), Devon, Exeter, Okehampton
“If you ever come across anything suspicious like this item, please do not pick it up, contact your local law and/or enforcement agency for assistance”.
By Mary Stenson
A ten-year-old boy made an explosive discovery while out walking on Dartmoor that prompted a call to police and the bomb disposal squad. Joe Baker, 10, was out walking on Okehampton Army Range on the edge of Dartmoor yesterday (May 7) with his dad when he noticed something strange in the bushes. Upon closer inspection he found what the pair believed to be an unexploded bomb. His dad Matt said the pair were out letterboxing – an outdoor hobby that combines elements of orienteering, art and puzzle solving involving small, hidden, weatherproof boxes with clues. He said: “Me and Joseph walk up there quite regularly together. We do a thing called letterboxing so we look for letterboxes and stuff like that. We were in a different area for once and Joseph noticed something in the gorse. We went across to the gorse and pulled it apart and went ‘oh my god, that’s an unexploded bomb’.” Matt promptly called the police 101 line to report the object and he says police arrived a short time later to cordon off a large area around it. Images of the large object were sent to the Royal Navy’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team in Plymouth who confirmed it was an explosive and travelled up to Okehampton to detonate it. The dad explained that they have found bombs before in the area, which can be common in Devon and Cornwall. However, he said this is the first time they have witnessed a detonation, something that he describes as “an amazing experience”.
If you find anything that appears to be an explosive device, do not touch it, leave it where it is and call the police. We will contact the appropriate agencies to properly dispose of the item.
Dear editors, Biography of a bomb is aimed at highlighting the danger caused by unexploded bombs. Moreover, the most important aspect is that we work completely non profit, what drives us is raising awerness about this topic. We make use of your pictures and articles, but we need them to put a context in how findings are done. We trust in your understanding. We will (and we always do) cite the source and the author. We thank you for your comprehension.
