COWETA COUNTY, Ga. — Officials are evacuating a part of Coweta County on Thursday after a 911 caller said they saw a torpedo.
Toby Nix with the Coweta County Sheriff's Office said they have the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on the way to Raymond Hill Road and River Park Dive to investigate.
Nix said the sheriff's office has evacuated the surrounding areas, and according to deputies, the caller said the torpedo appeared to be from World War II.
According to the Naval History and Heritage Command, a torpedo is an underwater explosive device often used in war.
A man on scene told reporters he had gone to the neighborhood to help his son-in-law, who is moving, and he ran into a man and his wife who said they'd bought the explosive intending to use it as an anchor about two weeks prior - not realizing it was live.
The man on scene, Mike Exner, said the man who bought the explosive "had some official come out and look at it and they told him it was in fact a bomb."
Exner said the man was "very apologetic about it" and that "he and his wife told me they had no idea it was gonna be a bomb."
Exner said he was a science teacher and that "I don't really know what would happen if you would drop a bomb in water" but that: "If you think about it, if it's a World War II bomb, that thing's gonna be 80 years old, and no telling what it's gonna do."
WAYS TO GET 11ALIVE
- Download our app on Roku and Fire TV
- Download 11Alive News mobile app on Apple and Google Play stores
- Follow us on social media, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
- Look at our TV guide to see when we're airing on cable TV
- Watch broadcasts, and videos on YouTube
SIGN UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER
The 11Alive Speed Feed offers a curated experience of top local stories we’re following now. Our goal is to help you feel informed, even if you only have five minutes. This email will be sent at noon daily. Sign up here.
GET IN TOUCH WITH US
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at WhereAtlantaSpeaks@11Alive.com.