A family narrowly escaped disaster after unknowingly playing near a World War II bomb on a beach in Burry Port, Carmarthenshire. Kelly Gravell and her two young children mistook the seaweed-covered device for a buoy during a beach outing. Photos show six-year-old Erin and four-year-old Ellis jumping on the object, unaware of the danger.
Five days later, rangers identified the object as a 70-year-old unexploded mine. A bomb squad safely carried out a controlled detonation, captured in dramatic footage. The children’s father, Gareth, tweeted about the incident, joking, “So the buoy my kids were jumping on all weekend turns out to be a WWII bomb. Oops.”
Reflecting on the close call, Kelly said, “We were close to disaster – it’s shocking.” The family plans to return to the beach but will be more cautious in the future.
Officials apologized for the beach closure, stressing that safety measures were swiftly taken.
The incident highlights the hidden dangers of wartime remnants still lurking in everyday places.