Person 'magnet fishing' in Beaver Dam recovers grenade that was potentially 'live'

BEAVER DAM, Wis. - Beaver Dam police say a person who was "magnet fishing" near a dam on Madison Street recovered a grenade that was later determined to be real and potentially "live."

Officials say magnet fishing is when subjects use a large powerful magnet thrown into the water to gather metal objects such as lures that are laying at the bottom of a river or lake.

A Facebook post from the Beaver Dam Department said contact was made with the Dane County Bomb Squad to discuss the proper procedure to dispose of the grenade. After seeing photos of the grenade and speaking with the Beaver Dam Police Department Supervisors, they determined that they would send a team out to assist in the disposal of the grenade.

Due to the degradation of the grenade from being in the water for quite some time the Dane County Bomb Squad was unable to confirm if it was actually “live” without further testing. But they felt it was necessary to take precautions for everyone’s safety.

 The bridge over the dam was shut down for approximately two hours while the grenade was removed, disposed of properly, and rendered safe by the Dane County Bomb Squad.