Ironic,guess he doesn't have far to go to collect the Darwin award!
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A live World War II bomb found on Milingimbi Island and taken around for ‘show and tell’ by the man who discovered it.Picture: NT POLICE
A TERRITORY man who threw two live World War II bombs on the back of his ute and took them around town “for show and tell” says he was disappointed he didn’t get to keep the explosives after the Australian Defence Force detonated them yesterday.
Loader driver Damian Lumsden, 44, was walking home after mudcrabbing when he discovered a warplane wreck and two unexploded bombs near the shore on Milingimbi Island in June this year.
“There was something shiny that looked like a bit of a bomb,” he said. “I picked it up and walked back with in and threw it in the back of the ute and had it for a couple of days.
“I went out to show a few people and they were like ‘that’s a bomb’.
“Then they saw the pin was still in it and they were like ‘oh wow, it’s live’.”
Mr Lumsden said he took the bombs “everywhere”.
Australian Defence Force Joint Logistics Unit North members travelled up to Milingimbi to safely dispose of the bombs, cordoning off a 1km area to explode them. Picture: NT POLICE
“I was showing it off to everyone like show and tell,” he said. “I wanted to keep it.
“I sent my boss a photo of it and he went off his head and rang up the police straightaway and got the bomb squad.”
Mr Lumsden said he was evacuated from his home by police for several weeks until the bomb could be safely removed from inside.
The Australian Defence Force Joint Logistics Unit North yesterday put the bombs in a gravel pit and detonated them on the island.
“It went ballistic,” Mr Lumsden said. “They put some explosives around it and it went boof and the whole thing was full of some sort of powder.
“It was just dust and a loud bang and bits of shrapnel everywhere and we could still see and hear that from a kilometre away.
“I was glad they got it out of my house ... I got some bad vibes.”
A Defence spokeswoman said the bombs were identified as navigation flame float MK II’s from World War II. She said the detonation site was “cordoned off” and residents were moved at least 1km away during the operation.
Ramingining remote sergeant Ben Schultz of the bombs: “They were used to drop into the ocean and they would ignite and float and release a gas that was ignited and would create fire to track ocean currents.
“They were used to mark spots on water and were found next to a WWII plane wreck.”
Authorities urge anyone who finds a bomb to call police immediately.
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- MEGAN PALIN
- NT News
- August 26, 2015 2:00AM
A live World War II bomb found on Milingimbi Island and taken around for ‘show and tell’ by the man who discovered it.Picture: NT POLICE
A TERRITORY man who threw two live World War II bombs on the back of his ute and took them around town “for show and tell” says he was disappointed he didn’t get to keep the explosives after the Australian Defence Force detonated them yesterday.
Loader driver Damian Lumsden, 44, was walking home after mudcrabbing when he discovered a warplane wreck and two unexploded bombs near the shore on Milingimbi Island in June this year.
“There was something shiny that looked like a bit of a bomb,” he said. “I picked it up and walked back with in and threw it in the back of the ute and had it for a couple of days.
“I went out to show a few people and they were like ‘that’s a bomb’.
“Then they saw the pin was still in it and they were like ‘oh wow, it’s live’.”
Mr Lumsden said he took the bombs “everywhere”.
Australian Defence Force Joint Logistics Unit North members travelled up to Milingimbi to safely dispose of the bombs, cordoning off a 1km area to explode them. Picture: NT POLICE
“I was showing it off to everyone like show and tell,” he said. “I wanted to keep it.
“I sent my boss a photo of it and he went off his head and rang up the police straightaway and got the bomb squad.”
Mr Lumsden said he was evacuated from his home by police for several weeks until the bomb could be safely removed from inside.
The Australian Defence Force Joint Logistics Unit North yesterday put the bombs in a gravel pit and detonated them on the island.
“It went ballistic,” Mr Lumsden said. “They put some explosives around it and it went boof and the whole thing was full of some sort of powder.
“It was just dust and a loud bang and bits of shrapnel everywhere and we could still see and hear that from a kilometre away.
“I was glad they got it out of my house ... I got some bad vibes.”
A Defence spokeswoman said the bombs were identified as navigation flame float MK II’s from World War II. She said the detonation site was “cordoned off” and residents were moved at least 1km away during the operation.
Ramingining remote sergeant Ben Schultz of the bombs: “They were used to drop into the ocean and they would ignite and float and release a gas that was ignited and would create fire to track ocean currents.
“They were used to mark spots on water and were found next to a WWII plane wreck.”
Authorities urge anyone who finds a bomb to call police immediately.
