A bloke north of Alice Springs was out fossicking recently when he came across an old military mortar – you know, like a bomb that gets fired out of a really big gun. So he took it home and plonked it on the kitchen bench.
Quick refresher course on Prolonging Your Life While Fossicking for those who missed this life lesson first time around:
- do take home objects for entertainment and profit, such as interesting rocks, fossils, animal skulls, cool-shaped twigs, wristwatches, gold nuggets, opals, shiny bits of tin and friendly dogs;
- don’t take home anything that might unpredictable explode and kill you.
Old mate’s wife was unsurprisingly not impressed with the addition to her kitchen décor, and she called the cops.
The cops, I’m pretty sure, heard the word “bomb” and immediately called the army.
exclusive footage of the incident
The army showed up, set up a perimeter around the house, evacuated the occupants, and sent in bomb experts to defuse the situation (hehe).
Fortunately the mortar was spent – i.e. not about to explode and maim everyone in the vicinity – but no-one is downplaying the seriousness of the situation.
Watch Commander Darren Keenan told the ABC:
“Should it not have been spent […] it could be extremely unpredictable in terms of what could trigger it. Whether it be a rusted firing pin or anything to that effect. Moving old things like that can actually see a detonation of sorts.”
The army is apparently going to come and pick up the 3-kilo mortar at some point in the future, and I assume our fossicker is going to be in the doghouse until at least then.
Source: ABC.
Image: Hot Fuzz.
