How an explosive device from WWII ended up in fisherman’s net in Rhode Island

NARRAGANSETT, R.I. (WJAR) — Tuesday’s catch for Glenn Westcott of Narragansett dredged up a little more than his usual haul of fish and sea critters.

Westcott is the captain of “Ocean State,” the fishing vessel in his family’s possession since 1979. He tells NBC 10 News he was fishing Tuesday in the same waters he had been for years when his crew noticed an unusual catch.

It was about four nautical miles east of Block Island.

“We saw it going down the net and they were suspicious of something, so we checked everything out with photos and sure enough, it was a depth charge,” he told NBC 10 News outside of his boat, which had just docked for the day Thursday. “It’s not something that happens every day.”

The Navy Region Mid-Atlantic confirmed to NBC 10 News the depth charge is actually a World War II MK 6, weighing 520 pounds and containing 267 pounds of TNT.

Director of Public Affairs Beth Baker said the area where the fishing vessel was is where a World War II battle happened. The device is believed to be one of 195 charges used by a U.S. Navy Destroyer and U.S. Coast Guard Frigate to take down a German U-Boat.

Both the Navy’s Explosive Ordnance Mobile Unit (EODMU) out of Newport and the U.S. Coast Guard responded to Tuesday’s scene.

A team from Coast Guard Station Point Judith was dispatched to Westcott’s fishing vessel to get he and his crew to safety. EODMU handled the device.

A safety perimeter was maintained overnight into Wednesday and mariners in the area were alerted to the situation, said the Coast Guard.

The device was detonated Wednesday morning a mile offshore.

No one was hurt and no marine mammals were injured, the Navy said. But Westcott said he could feel the impact from his boat.

“We heard a popping, suction-y sound,” Westcott said. “It was like somebody racked a big, big hammer against the side of the boat.”

The Coast Guard said these types of discoveries have happened before but emphasized regular boaters can rest easy.

“This [depth charge] was on the bottom of the sea, fairly deep. A recreational boater is not going to come across one of these,” said Lt. Brandon Newman of the Coast Guard 1st District.

The Navy urges people who encounter the UXOs (unexploded ordnances) to not move or touch them. You’re asked to call the Coast Guard and local law enforcement.