A piece of suspected wartime ordnance – discovered half-buried beneath the sand and surf – was detonated at dawn by Royal Navy Bomb Disposal experts this morning (Thursday).
Solent Coastguard was alerted to the discovery of a suspected piece of ordnance on the South Wight coastline by a vigilant member of the public yesterday morning.
Coastguard Rescue Officers from The Needles were tasked to investigate, but due to the advancing tide, initial efforts to locate the device were unsuccessful. Needles CRT was redeployed yesterday evening with officers able to confirm the position of the suspected ordnance and send photographs to the Royal Navy.
At this morning’s low tide, Needles Coastguard Rescue Team and Ventnor Coastguard Rescue Team were joined by the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team from Portsmouth, who carried out a controlled explosion on the device, thought to be from the 1940s.
If you or someone else is in difficulty on the coast or at sea, or if you spot what you think may be unexploded ordnance, then dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard. Further safety information can be found at https://coastguardsafety.campaign.gov.uk/.
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