Boy reels in old military 'bomb' while magnet fishing in Port Bruce, Ont.
A 10-year-old St. Thomas, Ont. boy is telling a fishing story unlike any other.
On Sunday, Brandon Bastien was magnet fishing with his grandfather, Steve Posthumus, off the pier at Port Bruce, Ont. when he pulled up a unique, but possibly explosive, find.
“I thought it was a bomb when I first saw it. But, I wasn’t too, too sure."
Bastien then called his grandfather over and told him to bring his phone to take a picture.
“I actually thought it was a fuselage of a toy airplane and then I saw a rocket end and I knew it was something different.”
It wasn’t long before Bastien says those nearby took notice.
“And then the other people were magnet fishing and they said it was a mortar shell bomb, and I got all excited because it was from 1954.”
Posthumus took a closer look and felt the shell wasn’t likely live. But, with the rocket still attached, he and some others determined it was best to put the shell safely aside and notify police.
A short time later, Bastien says a police boat passed by.
“My grandpa said, we have a bomb with us and we just caught it out of the water. But because they were on boat duty, they weren’t allowed to get onto land.”
Police cruisers began to arrive. The first officer determined the public needed to move further back.
“The first officer actually moved people back probably 50 plus feet (18 metres). And it just grew from there and they shut a whole bunch of the pier down. They used a whole lot of yellow caution tape.”
A mortar shell pulled out of the water by Brandon Bastien at Port Bruce, Ont. on Sunday, July 24, 2021. (Submitted Photos)
A mortar shell pulled out of the water by Brandon Bastien at Port Bruce, Ont. on Sunday, July 24, 2021 (Submitted Photos)
Eventually, the area was secured and police took the ordnance safely away.
Monday, OPP spokesperson Derek Rogers told CTV News London the shell would be picked up at OPP Headquarters by representatives from the Department of National Defence.
At this point, the shell is considered to be inactive and “not a threat,” Rogers confirms.
As a result, Posthumus is hopeful his grandson will get it back to remember his unique find on his first day of magnet fishing.
He says in his many days magnet fishing at the pier, his most interesting find is an iron leg from a century-old claw foot bathtub.
With a play on words, Posthumus acknowledges his grandson now has him beat.
“It can be a real blast,” he chuckled with a reporter in jest. “But I am glad it all turned out safe.”
As for young Bastien, he hopes he keeps finding unique things. But he agrees some valuable “treasure” would beat another story about the one that nearly “blew” away.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Disappointment widespread over budget's proposed $200-month disability benefit funding
Advocacy groups across Canada are expressing widespread disappointment about the amount of funding earmarked in the 2024 federal budget for the long-awaited Canada Disability Benefit.
BREAKING Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
Earthquake jolts southern Japan
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 hit southern Japan late on Wednesday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency, without issuing a tsunami warning.
ArriveCan contractor to be admonished by MPs in extraordinarily rare parliamentary display
Enacting an extraordinarily rarely used parliamentary power, MPs have summoned an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons on Wednesday afternoon to be admonished publicly for failing to answer their questions.
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
Gas prices across Ontario expected to climb to levels not seen since 2022, analyst says
Ontario is going to see a big jump at the pumps later this week as gas prices in the province hit levels not seen in nearly two years, according to one industry analyst.
Ancient skeletons unearthed in France reveal Mafia-style killings
More than 5,500 years ago, two women were tied up and probably buried alive in a ritual sacrifice, using a form of torture associated today with the Italian Mafia, according to an analysis of skeletons discovered at an archeological site in southwest France.
Paul McCartney and John Lennon’s sons have released a single together
A new Lennon and McCartney collaboration is the last thing anybody expected.