In an unexpected twist, a family narrowly escaped disaster after photographing themselves next to an unexploded World War II mine, which was initially thought to be a harmless buoy. Kelly Gravell, accompanied by her two children, discovered the seaweed-covered object on a beach near Burry Port in Carmarthenshire last Wednesday.Family Holiday DealsThe Best Cameras
The 32-year-old mother was shocked when the beach her family regularly visited was abruptly closed five days later. Carmarthenshire Council safety officers identified the object as a 70-year-old bomb and quickly called in a bomb disposal team to neutralise the potential danger. Dramatic images captured a massive explosion across the harbour after experts carried out a controlled detonation.
Gareth, the father, expressed his surprise on Twitter, sharing photos of Erin, aged six, and Ellis, aged four, happily playing with the explosive device disguised as a buoy. His tweet humorously captioned: “So the buoy my kids have been jumping around on all weekend turns out to be a WWII bomb. Oops.”
Ms Gravell said that during their trip to the beach, they were more interested in the shells that were on the object than its actual nature. At high tide, the family had accidentally discovered this historic bomb, which they had humorously mistaken for a buoy. Even a light comment about it being a “big bomb” was made without any deeper thought at the time.
Looking back on the incident, Ms Gravell said: “We narrowly avoided disaster – it’s terrifying.” The couple, who run a waste management company, expressed their intention to return to the beach, but stressed that they would be much more cautious in the future.
Mrs Gravell explained: “I would have no qualms about going there again but we will definitely be more careful next time. We will think twice before touching an object like this in the future and we even went down to see the explosion.”
Councilwoman Meryl Gravell, a member of the Leisure Executive Committee at Carmarthenshire Council, assured the public that appropriate action had been taken to resolve the situation. Despite the inconvenience caused by the temporary closure of the beach, she apologised to the public.
The family’s involuntary encounter with this unexploded bomb is a reminder of the hidden dangers that remnants of military history can pose even in seemingly peaceful coastal landscapes. The incident highlights the importance of vigilance and caution when exploring unusual objects on the beach as the potential risks are not always obvious at first glance.
