Boy Finds Grenade During Easter Egg Hunt In Britain

A British Army bomb squad detonates a grenade found near children at an easter egg hunt on Sunday. Nobody was injured.

An army bomb squad rushed to an Easter egg hunt in England on Sunday after a 3-year-old boy found a live hand grenade.

Eagle-eyed Stuart Moffatt, 34, -- who was there with his wife and three kids -- saw the child standing over the World War II-era explosive at the Holford, Somerset event. He began moving several pre-school-aged children away from the looming danger, the Daily Mail reported.

"We were beginning to count up the eggs at the end of the hunt and I saw a boy of three standing on an object," Moffatt told the paper. "It was brown and about 4 inches high. It looked like an Easter egg, but it was a hand grenade -- I was shocked. The boy who was standing on it thought it was a rock."

Moffatt immediately alerted organizers, prompting the bomb squad to descend on the field, cordon off the area and close a local highway, the New York Daily News reported. Soldiers safely detonated the grenade after everyone was clear.

About 25 children aged between 2 and 5 were hunting for eggs at the event, organized by a pre-school group, according to This Is Somerset.

Trucker Paul Gibbard, 40, whose daughters were hunting for candy-filled treats, said the explosive was likely from a shuttered military base in Holford.

"Apparently there used to be an American Army base in Holford during the Second World War," he said. "I think it has something to do with that."

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Comments

[Mrsbean54]

11:29 AM on 04/12/2012

This occasionally happens to geocachers, too....one of the downsides to exploring the great outdoors in Europe. Years of world war still have their footprint.

[dbrett480]

10:22 PM on 04/11/2012

I don't think people are blaming it on the American air base. After all, if there wasn't an American air base, there wouldn't be a Britain anymore.

[Hatchetman1994]

03:04 PM on 04/11/2012

The Easter Bunny is a Terrorist?!!! I knew it!!!

[Getchatissuesready]

02:55 PM on 04/11/2012

Sure blame it on our American grandparents. Or it could have been Jack the Rippers nephew who was vandalizing an old army base and found the grenade and put it in his butt then squeezed it out for a distance of 39 meters

[word2thenooch]

02:29 AM on 04/11/2012

thats it blame America....j/k im glad no noe was hurt its scary when kids are involved

[ajustman]

11:33 PM on 04/10/2012

My mother actually put a hand grenade in my easter basket one year...I ate it

[Hatchetman1994]

03:04 PM on 04/11/2012

lmao, hey grenades are delicious!

[ajustman]

11:25 PM on 04/10/2012

Made in America !!! And it still worked !!! what ever happened to that know how?

[hswremann]

07:22 PM on 04/10/2012

Bad Easter Bunny ..Bad ..Bad Easter Bunny Leaving that Grenade amongst the Easter eggs ..no more Carrots or Rabbit Pellets for YYOOOOUUU!! Seriously though Im glad no one was hurt thank goodness ..Before Easter Egg hunts and such the Grounds should always be Examined by a group of adults and Volunteers so that it ends up a safe and fun Easter Experience ..

[tompolhaus]

06:22 PM on 04/10/2012

Could have been left by an Easter Bunny on Meth, don't let the cute bunny looks fool you.

[Nancy Q]

05:04 PM on 04/10/2012

OMG!!! What kind of a world do we live in???!!! Too many 'SICKOS' out there!!!

[CDRUSNret]

06:21 PM on 04/10/2012

Huh??

"Apparently there used to be an American Army base in Holford during the Second World War," he said. "I think it has something to do with that."

[hculliton]

08:19 PM on 04/10/2012

The entire continent of Europe (and most of Asia and Africa for that matter) is an unexplored ordnance dump. Really, the only place where it's not a big issue is North America. WW 1 gas shells still occasionally kill people in France. As well, at current rates of removal, it will take over 1000 (yes, 3 zeros) years to remove all the landlines planted around the world, and they kill children every. Single. Day.

[cblazer24]

03:06 PM on 04/10/2012

This is nuts, I don't see how after all of these years it was not found, I mean don't they cut the lawn there???

[hculliton]

08:22 PM on 04/10/2012

Spring thaw pushes stuff to the surface every year. That's why farmers in France generally have the bomb disposal squad on their speed-dial: every spring they have to deal with UXO from WW1.

[wolfnus]

11:53 AM on 04/10/2012

What a world! You can't even trust the EASTER BUNNY these days. He must be angry about something, leaving grenades instead of eggs for the kids to find. Could be that he is upset that people think that RABBITS lay EGGS.
Blaming the US Army is really a cheap shot. I never left any grenades in the field when I was in the Army, just brought them all home with me and still have a box in my attic. Will probably get a few out for the Fourth if July.

[dpmpop]

04:24 AM on 04/10/2012

picture looks like a sheep ghost

[Duff Meister]

02:11 AM on 04/10/2012

They were concerned the explosive was only 15 feet from an interstate. Whats that say about the egg hunt organizers..........

[dt1064]

01:16 AM on 04/10/2012

"Apparently there used to be an American Army base in Holford during the Second World War," he said. "I think it has something to do with that."

That's right, blame the Yanks.