A family narrowly avoided disaster after unknowingly posing for photos next to an unexploded World War II bomb, mistaking it for a harmless buoy. Kelly Gravell and her two children discovered the seaweed-covered object on a beach near Burry Port, Carmarthenshire, last Wednesday. The family didn’t realize the danger until five days later when the beach was closed and the object was identified as a 70-year-old bomb.
Carmarthenshire Council rangers called in a bomb squad, who safely carried out a controlled explosion. Gareth Gravell shared images of his children playing on the object, humorously commenting on Twitter, “So the buoy my kids were jumping on all weekend turns out to be a WWII bomb.”
At the time of their visit, Kelly Gravell recalled the family being more focused on the barnacles on the object than its potential danger. They even joked about it being a “big bomb” without realizing its true nature. Reflecting on the incident, Kelly admitted, “We were close to disaster – it’s shocking.”
Though the family plans to return to the beach, they’ll exercise more caution in the future. Councillor Meryl Gravell assured the public that necessary actions were taken to address the situation, despite the temporary inconvenience caused by the beach closure. This incident highlights the hidden dangers of wartime remnants, even in peaceful coastal areas.
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