Hoylake RNLI Detonate Old Bomb

Hoylake RNLI crew member Ian Davies sends in a report of dredged up WW2 bomb:

After the dredger WD Mersey picked up a suspicious looking object, a call was made to Liverpool Coastguard and the Royal Navy’s bomb disposal team. The WD Mersey was working in the Queens channel in the approaches to the port of Liverpool, which involves removing sediment from the sea bed to stop the river silting up, mixed in with this silt can be many different objects. The crew spotted a suspicious looking object in an area where the silt is sorted and immediately called the Coastguard, who then called the Royal Navy. Hoylake’s relief Lifeboat “Royal Shipwright” was requested by Liverpool Coast guard to prepare to launch and transfer the bomb disposal team and their equipment to the dredger, who was now at a safe anchorage. RNLI Hoylake Lifeboat launched at approximately 2200 complete with a team of 5 bomb disposal men and their equipment; charges were attached to the World War 2 shell and then it was lowered to the sea bed clear of all vessels before it was detonated.

Hoylake Lifeboat returned to station at 0300 on 31/05/10.