A Maryland couple digging in their garden were stunned to discover a live World War I bomb buried in their flower bed.
Kelly and Shannon Thomas, of Belair, decided it was best to leave the device where they found it and contacted the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, which sent a team of bomb technicians to the scene on Wednesday.
"After examining the device, it was determined that the best course of action was to conduct an emergency disposal to render the ordnance safe," the Office of the State Fire Marshal said in a statement. "Bomb Technicians disposed of the potentially dangerous round on the scene."
Maryland has a long history of military testing and it is believed the device may have come from the Aberdeen Proving Ground on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay in Harford County.
"Unexploded military ordnance in the Bay and surrounding waters occasionally makes its way to the surface," the statement read. "However, the discovery of military ordnance is not limited to tidal waters. The discovery of military ordinance from WWI and WWII is not uncommon in Maryland, and these devices pose the same threat as the day they were originally manufactured."
Maryland State Fire Marshal Brian S. Geraci urged the public to practice "the three R's" if they happen to come across military ordnance.
"Recognize that any suspicious objects found should not be touched under any circumstances. Retreat or carefully leave the area. Report immediately what was found and the approximate location to a 911 dispatcher," he said.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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