Projectile event in United States of America on Tue 3rd September 2024

SOUTH BEND, IN (WSBT) — A magnet fisherman found an old warhead at the bottom of the St. Joseph River Sunday, which prompted a Bomb Squad response from the South Bend Police and forced the closure of Angela Boulevard over the river.

He was shocked when he pulled the device from the water.

To make matters even crazier, this was the second weekend in the past month when the Bomb Squad was called because of this fisherman's catch.

A group of magnet fishermen travel across the country, throwing out their lines, and making videos of what lies below the water.

But what they caught in South Bend stands out from the rest of their finds.

“Yes, my heart was racing. I knew this was extremely dangerous and my main concern was the safety of the public because it was a very busy bridge, there's a lot of people walking by,” said Jeff Hallows, Magnet Fisherman.

One of the fishermen is from Michigan City and decided to fish in the St. Joseph River.

It was a typical day of magnet fishing at the Angela Boulevard bridge until the fishermen made an unexpected catch.

When the fishermen reeled in a 50-millimeter round, they quickly realized the potential danger and called police.

Fast forward a week to this past Sunday, when the fishermen returned to make an even bigger discovery.

“So we ended up getting it out of the water getting it almost up to the bridge before we realized it was a big projectile round, and we actually had to have all four of us lift it over the wall, that's how heavy it was. They say these things can weigh up to about 147 pounds,” said Daniel Fredenburg, Magnet Fisherman.

The fishermen caught a 2-foot tall, 7-inch diameter warhead that is used in cannons.

The Bomb Squad was activated again.

WSBT reached out for details on the bomb and received this statement:

"After the bomb squad's evaluation, the shell was taken into their possession for proper disposal. They’re awaiting further evaluation on the item on whether it was live. But it’s safe and in a controlled space now," said Ashley O’Chap, South Bend Police Department Spokesperson.

The unexpected discovery is not stopping the magnet fishermen.

They started magnet fishing as a hobby, but they now do it full-time.

They enjoy cleaning the river and finding what is in them.

“I would say this is one of the most craziest finds ever. I have pulled out cars out of the river. We’ve pulled out motorcycles, lots of guns, a lot of other smaller mortars but by far, this is one of the biggest that we've ever found,” said Hallows.

The magnet fishermen are now heading to Missouri, however, they plan to return to the South Bend area to continue exploring the bottom of the St. Joseph River.