02/10/2022 Australia, Victoria, Bass, Coast, Phillip Island
“If you ever come across anything suspicious like this item, please do not pick it up, contact your local law enforcement agency for assistance”
ABC Gippsland / By Richard Crabtree and Mim Hook
Sam Treacey usually finds phones, wallets and watches while scuba diving with his mates — not bombs. But on Sunday, while diving under the Cowes Jetty on Phillip Island, Mr Treacey and his friend Cooper Corbett discovered an unexploded mortar shell. “We were bored on a Sunday. As usual, [we] headed down to the pier for a dive and came across what we think was a bomb,” the 23-year-old said. “When we were down there I tapped my mate on the shoulder and pointed it out.
“He just picked it up straight away, not thinking anything of it.”
Mr Treacey said it was while chatting with some sightseers on the island’s business long weekend that he decided to call the authorities. “I took it up [to the surface] to have a look,” he said. “We asked a couple of people out on the pier and they said, ‘Yeah, be careful. And maybe call the police’. “So we got onto the police and they came down and shut the whole pier down.”
‘Live but safe’
Victoria Police’s Bomb Response Unit and Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel were called to determine if the mortar shell was at risk of detonating. Baw Baw Police Inspector Alison Lester said the mortar shell was found to be “live but safe” and it was taken by the ADF to Sale on Sunday night.
“The safety features were still intact,” she said.
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, raising awerness about this topic is what drives us. We apologize if we make use of pictures in yours articles, but we need them to put a context in how findings are done. We will (and we always do) cite source and author of the picture. We thank you for your comprehension.