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
RCMP uncovers alleged plot by 2 Montreal men to illegally sell drones, equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Government agrees to US$138.7M settlement over FBI's botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations
The U.S. Justice Department announced a US$138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Thieves use stolen forklift to rip cash machine out of U.K. bank
Police in the U.K. are searching for a group of suspects seen on video using a forklift to steal a cash machine from a bank.
'There was a lot of black smoke': Crane operator sounds alarm while trapped during highrise fire in Halifax
A tower crane operator alerted emergency crews after noticing a fire on a construction site in Halifax Tuesday morning.