A couple in the Northern Territory got a shock while out fishing yesterday, reeling in a live mortar shell. The shell was in a black bag snagged by Renee Doidge of Palmerston, who was using a hand reel at Darwin's Fisherman's Wharf.
Ms Doidge was fishing with her husband Aaron when she felt a tug on her reel.
"Thought I had a snag and I pulled it up and there was a bag, and my husband started to empty it and pulled out the bomb," she said.
The Army's disposal unit was called in to deactivate the mortar, which will be examined to try to work out which era it is from and how it got there.
Acting Sergeant Graeme Wheeler says it was a potentially dangerous situation.He says if it had exploded shrapnel could have travelled more than 100 metres.
"It's something to be well aware of, I mean if you do happen to come across something like this treat it seriously," he said. "Don't think that it's a trophy and take it home, obviously call us and let us examine it and let us get the experts to have a look at it first."
Ms Doidge says it will take a special catch from her husband to beat her fishing story.
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