Police say a teenager fished a smoke grenade out of Beaver Brook in Dracut, Massachusetts, on Tuesday morning.
Dracut police and fire reportedly responded to the area of the Parker Avenue Bridge around 11:17 a.m. following a report that a teenage boy had pulled what appeared to be a smoke grenade out of Beaver Brook while magnet fishing.
Dracut firefighters were able to confirm that the boy had indeed fished a possible smoke grenade out of the brook. They contacted the Massachusetts State Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team, who responded and conducted a controlled detonation of the smoke grenade as a precaution. The State Fire Marshal's Office also responded to the scene to assist.
"Folks need to be very cautious when participating in this type of fishing. This is a first for Dracut, but there have been several instances of ordnance being pulled up from lake and river bottoms across the Commonwealth," Dracut Fire Chief Richard Patterson said in a statement. "These devices can become extremely unstable with age and corrosion. Should a device be found, 911 should be called immediately so that professionals can properly dispose of it."
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While emergency crews dealt with the situation, people were warned to avoid the area of the bridge.
