Teenager finds smoke grenade while magnet fishing in Massachusetts, police say

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."

While emergency crews dealt with the situation, people were warned to avoid the area of the bridge.