Andover Town Centre Ranger David Lacey had quite a surprise on Father’s Day when he found a suspected World War Two hand grenade while magnet fishing with his three children.
David, 46, was enjoying a Sunday outing by the River Avon near the Five Rivers Leisure Centre in Salisbury with his boys, aged five and eight, when he pulled the rusty old device from the water.
“Straight away I knew what it was,” said David. “I kept people away, called the police, and dropped it in a bucket of water just in case it went off.”
Thanks to the calmness and quick thinking David shows every day in his role as an Andover Town Centre Ranger, the situation was handled safely and sensibly.
Police quickly set up a safety cordon and evacuated nearby homes. A bomb squad later confirmed it was a Mills bomb – a type of grenade used during World War Two – and safely destroyed it with a controlled burn at Avon Valley Nature Reserve.
David’s children were shocked at first. “They were scared at the beginning, but soon became fascinated and quite excited,” he said.
To top it off, David’s five-year-old had been looking after the class teddy that weekend.
“We’ve definitely given it a story no other parent is going to beat,” he laughed.
David has been magnet fishing every Sunday for months, but this was the first time he’s found something like this. “It’s not the first grenade found in the area, and I don’t think it’ll be the last,” he added.
It might not have been the treasure they were hoping for – but it’s a Father’s Day they’ll never forget.