Explosive war weapon pulled from the river in Cherry Hill

💣 Two people magnet fishing found the ordnance

💣 The Camden County Bomb Squad responded to remove the object

💣 The object reportedly dates back to World War I

CHERRY HILL—Two "magnet fishermen" found a century-old military projectile in a river on a Saturday afternoon.

The pair were fishing near Cuthbert Boulevard bridge over the Cooper River around 12:30 p.m., Oct. 9, when they pulled the device out of the water, according to Cherry Hill police Lt. Thomas Leone. It appeared to have been in the water "for a lengthy period of time."

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What is magnet fishing?

The Camden County Sheriff’s Department Bomb Squad Unit was called to the scene and removed the device. Investigators told 6 ABC Action News the object was a 75-millimeter shrapnel round from World War I.

Magnet fishing involves attaching a magnetic device to a rope and dropping it in the water. "Magnetfishers or "magneteers" can pull anything from keys and coins to tire rims, guns and grenades out of the water.

Nutley police said a fisherman pulled an unexploded military weapon from the Passaic River in 2022 that was found to be live. Kevin Obiedzinski, the fisherman who told NJ.com he found the device, said he once found an ATM in Branch Brook Park in Newark.

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