ROYAL Navy divers have helped dispose of a “high-explosive projectile” lurking in local waters.
The “historic” live ordnance was initially spotted by a civilian diver in the sea at Bouley Bay.
A Royal Navy bomb disposal team arrived in Jersey at the weekend and carried out an operation in which the ordnance was located and moved to a safe location for disposal.
During their time in the Island, the divers were also able to assist Ports of Jersey by finding and removing several “underwater obstructions” that had been discovered during a hydrographic survey.
Lieutenant Commander James Oxley, commanding officer of the Bravo Squadron dive team, said that the dangers posed by historic ordnance “remain a very real risk to the public”.
He continued: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the public services and first responders who worked hard to not only assist in the location of the high explosive projectile, but also their work to reassure the public and keep any disruption to a minimum throughout the operation.”
He added: “Noting our strong relationship with the Island, I am also really pleased that my team were able to assist the Ports of Jersey with the identification and removal of several underwater obstructions in the days following the bomb disposal operation”.
The Lieutenant-Governor, Vice Admiral Sir Jerry Kyd, said: “It was great to see the Royal Navy providing some valuable specialist diving support to the Ports of Jersey and for the dive team to enjoy time in this wonderful Island.”
