An Orange County resident stumbled upon a dangerous — and anachronistic — intruder on his property last week: a 50 millimeter French mortar.
The resident initially thought he had stepped on a bottle while checking on his outdoor animals the night of April 23.
"Upon closer inspection, he realized it had fins — and it wasn’t a bottle at all," the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
He contacted the authorities, and sheriff’s investigators arrived to "immediately" realize the object was possibly a live explosive.
The investigators proceeded to contact the explosive ordnance disposal team at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico. The team arrived and safely removed the device from the resident’s yard that night.
Initial tests could not determine whether the device was live.
The mortar was safely disassembled Thursday.
"Unexploded ordnance can still be found in parts of Virginia, especially when land is being cleared," team leader Staff Sgt. Tyler Blattler said in a statement. "This situation could have turned out much worse, but thankfully it was handled with caution."
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office urges the public to call 911 should anyone discover a similar object.
“This incident is a testament to the importance of staying calm and calling the professionals. We’re grateful for the swift support from Quantico EOD and proud of the careful actions taken by our team,” Orange County investigator Larry Griffith said in his own statement.
Source: www.dailyprogress.com
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