Bomb alert in the Solent
A fisherman sparked a huge bomb alert in the Solent after finding this rusty bomb in his catch.
The war-time explosive was found last night by a fishing boat in Stokes Bay, between Gosport and the Isle of Wight.
The drama began to unfold at 10.30pm when the fisherman pulled the unexploded bomb up onto his deck in his fishing net.
He immediately radioed Solent Coastguard who scrambled lifeboat crews and called in the Royal Navy bomb disposal team from Horsea island.
After boarding the fisherman's boat to examine the device - thought to be from either the first or second world war - two navy divers used a sling to safely lower the bomb back into the water into a designated detonation area between Gilkicker and Ryde.
The fisherman was taken off his boat by rescuers from the Gosport and Fareham lifeboat, while the navy bomb team dealt with the device.
A 500m exclusion zone was set up around the bomb to protect boats and commercial shipping in the Solent.
Brian Taylor, watch assistant at Solent Coastguard, said: 'He pulled it up onto his boat and when he saw it it obviously caused him a bit of concern.
'He called us and we got onto the bomb disposal unit straight away.'
The navy team detonated the device at sea just before 4pm today.
While they waited the device had been lowered back down to the seabed as a precaution.
Mr Taylor said there had been small disruption to boats and ferries, which have had to be diverted.
'We have been telling boats to stay 500m outside the exclusion zone,' said Mr Taylor.
The lifeboat got the fisherman off his vessel after arriving on scene within 10 minutes. The crew helped him to safely anchor near the mining grounds off Ryde.
Chris Rudd, senior coxswain at the Gosport and Fareham Inshore Rescue Service, said: 'The bomb disposal team advised that the bomb appeared to be a live unit.'
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Portsmouth
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 24 mph
Wind direction: East
