PATTEN, Maine — The Maine State Police bomb squad was called in Saturday afternoon after a landowner who was clearing his property on found vintage unexploded military ordnance that had been discarded some time ago.
The landowner contacted police at about 6:12 p.m. after finding a military style ammunition can and unexploded ordnance in a remote area, State Police Lt. John Cote said Monday afternoon. He recognized what it was, according to Cote, and got in touch with the authorities.
Cote said that Troopers Shawn Whalen and Brian Bean, both bomb squad technicians, responded to the scene. They packed up the materials and transported them to a nearby gravel pit, where they were neutralized.
Cote said such incidents are not uncommon, and estimated that the bomb squad is called upon to handle such situations at least twice a month across the state.
“The bomb squad runs into this kind of thing more than one might think,” he said. “Its not unusual for a family member to be cleaning out a loved one’s home and come across a hand grenade or another unexploded ordnance that may have been brought back from a war that a veteran served in and kept in an attic or basement. We are often called upon to handle things like this.”