Bomb squad called after magnet fisherman reels in a live grenade, Kentucky cops say

A person magnet fishing in Kentucky recently reeled in a dangerous find: a live grenade, authorities say.

The individual was casting their line from a bridge down to the water below on Sunday, Dec. 4, according to police in Cadiz — a small town roughly 227 miles southwest of Lexington.

Police closed down the bridge and nearby roads and a bomb squad from Fort Campbell was dispatched to deal with what was “believed to be a 40mm grenade.”

Unlike traditional hand grenades, 40mm grenades are for use in grenade launchers and similar weapons.

The bomb squad determined the grenade was unstable “due to its time in the water,” and therefore unsafe to move, police said in a news release. Instead, they blew up the grenade at the scene with an explosive of their own.

The explosion was apparently heard by many residents, according to police, who clarified the cause of the big boom in order to “dispel any rumors.”

The bomb squad was successful and the bridge and roadways reopened, police said.

It’s not clear where exactly the grenade came from, how it fell in the water or how long it had been there, but this is not the first time a magnet fisherman has reeled military hardware out of an unsuspecting creek or river.

In 2021, a man magnet fishing in McCracken County — a short distance west of Cadiz — discovered a hand grenade in the Clarks River, McClatchy News reported.

This story was originally published December 5, 2022 at 1:23 PM with the headline "Bomb squad called after magnet fisherman reels in a live grenade, Kentucky cops say."