In a shocking twist, a family narrowly escaped a catastrophe after unknowingly taking pictures beside an unexploded World War II mine, which they initially thought was just a harmless buoy. Kelly Gravell, along with her two children, discovered the seaweed-covered object on a beach close to Burry Port, Carmarthenshire, last Wednesday.

Gareth Gravell with his children on the beach, Photo Credit: Gareth Gravell/Facebook
The 32-year-old mother was left in disbelief when the beach, a favorite spot for her family, was suddenly closed just five days later. Rangers from Carmarthenshire Council identified the object as a bomb from 70 years ago and quickly called in the bomb squad to eliminate the potential danger. Dramatic footage showed a large explosion occurring on the opposite side of the harbor after experts conducted a controlled detonation.

Gareth, the father, took to Twitter to share his astonishment, posting pictures of Erin, six, and Ellis, four, playfully engaging with the disguised explosive. His tweet humorously remarked, “So the buoy my kids were jumping on all weekend turns out to be a WWII bomb. Oops.”

Erin and Ellis Gravell posing next to an unexploded World War II mine, Photo Credit: Kelly Gravell/Facebook
Ms. Gravell shared that while they were at the beach, they found themselves more fascinated by the barnacles on the object rather than understanding what it really was. With the tide high, the family accidentally discovered the historic bomb, jokingly referring to it as a buoy. They even made a light-hearted remark about it being a “big bomb” at that moment without giving it much thought.
Looking back on the event, Ms. Gravell said, “We were close to disaster – it’s shocking.” The couple, who operate a waste management business, indicated their plans to revisit the beach, noting that although they wouldn’t be overly worried, they would take extra precautions.

Ms. Gravell mentioned, “I’m not concerned about returning, but we will certainly exercise more caution when we do. We’ll definitely reconsider before tampering with something like that again, and we went down to witness it being blown up.”

Councillor Meryl Gravell, who serves as the executive board member for leisure at Carmarthenshire Council, reassured the public that suitable measures had been implemented to resolve the issue. She also expressed her apologies to the public for any inconvenience caused by the temporary closure of the beach.

The family’s unexpected discovery of the unexploded bomb highlights the concealed threats that remnants of war can present, even in tranquil coastal environments. This event emphasizes the need for awareness and care when investigating unfamiliar items on the beach, as the possible dangers may not be immediately obvious.