Langley RCMP bomb disposal experts responded after a caller reported pulling out what appeared to be two grenades and a Second World War mortar round from a creek near Fort Langley on Monday.
Cpl. Holly Largy said the caller was ‘magnet fishing’ off the bridge near the intersection of 96th Avenue and Billy Brown Road around 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 15, when they made the discovery.
“Our Explosives Disposal Unit attended and identified them as possibly grenades and a mortar round,” Largy told the Langley Advance Times.
“EDU transported the devices safely and they will be turned over to CFB Esquimalt.”
READ ALSO: 3 hand grenades brought to B.C. police station, cause evacuation
A Wikipedia entry about magnet fishing, also called magnetic fishing, said it is a hobby that involves searching “in outdoor waters for ferromagnetic objects available to pull with a strong neodymium magnet.”
The hobby, a combination of environmentalism and treasure hunting, is said to have been started by boaters using magnets to recover fallen keys from the water.
READ ALSO: Chair, knives and bottle caps: 3 anglers clean up B.C. lake by magnet fishing
Magnets used are strong enough to remove large debris such as discarded bicycles, guns, safes, coins and car tire rims from bodies of water, but many who engage in the hobby are hoping to find rare and valuable items as well.
Is there more to the story? Email: dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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