A quiet afternoon of fishing at Bull Run Park in Anderson County turned tense on Thursday after an angler spotted what looked like military ordnance along the shoreline, prompting deputies to shut down part of the park and call in a bomb squad.
According to WBIR, Anderson County deputies were dispatched around 2:30 p.m. and quickly cordoned off the area while bomb technicians checked out the suspicious objects. The Knox County bomb squad was called in, and investigators eventually located more items in the same general area that also resembled military ordnance.
After a careful examination, bomb technicians determined all of the items were inert. The scene was cleared and the park was reopened once officials were confident there was no threat to the public.
Bomb squad response mirrors past finds
Explosive ordnance disposal teams in East Tennessee are no strangers to calls like this. Old, weather-beaten munitions frequently turn up when water levels drop or anglers cast into the right (or wrong) spot.
In one recent case, a fisherman hooked a World War II era explosive device and EOD personnel transported it to military authorities for evaluation and disposal, as reported by WVLT.
Officials urge caution
The Anderson County Sheriff's Office is using the Bull Run discovery as a reminder to leave suspicious objects alone and call for help. People should not pick up, move, or tamper with anything that looks like ordnance, according to WBIR.
Instead, officials say to back away, note the location, and dial 911 so trained EOD crews can evaluate and safely remove any potential hazards. Bull Run Park has since fully reopened, but anyone who spots unusual metal objects along the shoreline or in the water is urged to contact the Anderson County Sheriff's Office or call 911 rather than handling them.
