Texas Metal Detector Hobbyist Unknowingly Pulls Live Pipe Bomb From Lake
Police later detonated the device after clearing the area, and authorities said pipe bombs can be used to kill fish illegally.
- Mike Reiter discovered a pipe bomb while metal detecting in a Texas lake this week, immediately recognizing the device and bringing it to shore before calling Police to safely detonate it.
- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives classifies pipe bombs as illegal improvised explosive devices, and Federal law prohibits possession without a specific license; Authorities noted such devices are sometimes used illegally to kill fish.
- Wading waist-deep with his metal detector, Reiter picked up a strong signal and used a metal scoop to dig out the object. "And when I pulled up, that's when I saw the pipe bomb," he recalled.
- Reiter later acknowledged moving the device was dangerous and "pretty stupid," though he felt compelled to remove it so Authorities could safely handle the situation. The discovery left him shaken for hours.
- The Marine Stewardship Council calls explosive fishing "Destructive," and Federal law prohibits the practice in coastal waters stretching up to 200 miles offshore. Texas, Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, and Maine also ban it under state law.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Texas metal detector hobbyist unknowingly pulls live pipe bomb from lake
A Texas man using a metal detector in a lake says he unknowingly uncovered a live pipe bomb. The reason authorities said it was there may surprise you.
Pipe Bomb Found in an Urban Lake Was Put There to Blast Fish, Officials Say
A bomb squad in Denton, Texas, was called out to a public park on Lewisville Lake Monday after a local treasure hunter found a pipe bomb there in waist-deep water. Officials are still investigating, but they believe the bomb was placed there by someone attempting to blast fish. Mike Reiter, the man who found the bomb, was using a metal detector and wearing chest waders to search the lake bottom around Lake Park for hidden treasures. He told loca…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 93% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium








