Magnet fisherman in Massachusetts pulls deteriorated military projectile from water
By Nic F. Anderson, CNN
(CNN) — Sean Martell was magnet fishing on what he thought was a normal Friday – until he pulled up a military projectile from the Charles River in Needham, Massachusetts.
Martell, who was broadcasting live to his YouTube channel, said he recognized the danger of the object immediately after pulling it out of the water because he had seen similar looking objects in other magnet fishing videos.
“As soon as I pulled it out, it screamed mortar (round),” Martell told CNN.
Two members of the Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad arrived and secured the area while they evaluated the projectile, according to Dave Procopio, director of media communications for the agency.
The projectile was about 12 inches long, 4 inches in diameter, and in a “severely deteriorated state,” Procopio said.
The bomb squad took the projectile to a site recommended by Needham emergency responders, where it was “safely countercharged” and disposed of without incident, Procopio said.
“In our experience it is not common for people fishing with magnets to locate ordnance in bodies of water,” Procopio added. “It is more common for ordnance to wash up on a beach or be dug up at a construction site.”
Martell was streaming for his YouTube channel, Brockton Magnet Fisher, when the discovery happened and said he is going to post a full version of the video on his YouTube channel on Monday.
“Magnet fishing is a great hobby. We’re cleaning the waterway, making sure it’s a better place for people and wildlife,” Martell said. “It’s taken a lot of impurities out of the water, makes it safer.”
Needham, Massachusetts, is about 18 miles southwest of Boston.
CNN’s Michelle Watson contributed to this report.
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