A man stumbled upon a suspected World War II torpedo during a stroll on a ‘stunning’ UK beach.
Rob, 61, and his wife were walking their labradoodle between Muirfield Beach and Eyebroughy Beach in East Lothian, near Edinburgh, on September 28 when they happened upon a large metal tube lying on the beach.
‘It was right down on the foreshore at a very low tide, lying between rocks,’ Rob told Metro.
He said it was about ‘three metres long’ and covered in ‘rust and patches of seaweed’.
‘I knew it had arrived there recently as I walk there at low tide frequently,’ he added.
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‘My immediate reaction was one of surprise and caution, as we had heard of ordnance being washed up on this coast before.’
The North Berwick residents took photos of the object and looked up their coordinates so they could report their find to the Coastguard when they got home.
Rob added: ‘When I started doing my research online, a Coastguard poster came up with a photo of an object that looked identical to what we had found, with a caption that read: “This isn’t a gas canister, it’s a torpedo.”
‘I found many reports of unexploded ordnance being found around the UK coastline, including in East Lothian.’
Rob was asked to email his photos to the Coastguard, who said the item was a ‘fair size’ and that they would ‘send the boys in green’ to assess and identify the object at the next low tide in daylight.
HM Coastguard told Metro the item was deemed to be ‘safe’, but did not confirm whether it was ordnance.
A spokesperson said: ‘HM Coastguard received a report of a possible piece of ordnance on Gullane Beach at around 3pm on Friday 28 September.
‘North Berwick Coastguard Rescue Team was sent, and Police Scotland were informed. An Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team attended and established the item was safe.’
The discovery was made around 23 miles east of Edinburgh and a stone’s throw from the exclusive Renaissance and Muirfield Golf Clubs, the former of which hosts the Genesis Scottish Open each year.
The competition this year attracted golfing legends including Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Bob MacIntyre.
The coastline, which Rob described as ‘stunning’, is considered one of the UK’s most beautiful.
But it is not the first time suspected ordnance has been found washed up there.
North Berwick Coastguard Rescue Team and EOD experts were called to the nearby Broad Sands Beach on September 21 following reports of a possible unexploded item.
The object was examined and found to be a 20lb artillery shell, which was taken away for safe disposal.
In July, a World War II bomb containing ‘highly explosive material’ was also found on Belhaven Bay Beach in Dunbar, around 15 miles from Rob’s discovery.
A series of controlled explosions were carried out by an EOD team to ensure the item was safely disposed of.
Rob even claims he has had a similar encounter in the same area before.
He told Metro: ‘A previous year, when approaching this same beach, we were turned back by a friendly policewoman who was part of a cordon to keep the public away from another find whilst it was being dealt with.’
The Coastguard recommends that beachgoers ‘always be mindful’ of anything they find.
‘If you find something on the beach that’s an unusual size or shape, especially if it’s rusty, it could be unexploded ordnance.
‘Whilst it is very rare to find unexploded ordnance on a visit to the beach, it’s important to be cautious, as ordnance can come in all shapes as sizes.
‘If you do come across something on the beach that you’re unsure of or suspect could be unexploded ordnance, please don’t touch it or move it. Call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.’
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