Friday, September 03, 1999
Grenades found along Ohio River bank
Louisville fisherman, police reel in 32
BY BRUCE SCHREINER
The Associated Press
LOUISVILLE — A fisherman landed a dangerous catch Thursday that briefly had an Ohio River shoreline resembling a military zone.
What Gary Allen fished out of the river along a city park was a canister that police said contained a live grenade — setting off an intense search that soon turned up a small arsenal of grenades near the shoreline.
In all, 32 of the Vietnam-era weapons were found by Mr. Allen or police — 19 grenades and 13 smoke grenades. All the weapons were live and wrapped individually in metal containers. Boats were kept at a safe distance while police divers and bomb squad members scoured the area.
Military and police investigators had no suspects and no explanation for how the weapons ended up along the shoreline at Eva Bandman Park, about two miles upriver from downtown Louisville.
“They were pretty clean canisters,” Mr. Allen said. “It was like they hadn't been in the river very long. There wasn't much mud on them and no algae on them.”
Capt. Steve Thompson, head of the Louisville police department's bomb squad, said investigators think the weapons were dumped along the river as recently as Wednesday night.
The grenades were scattered along about 75 feet of shoreline, but some were found as far as 30 feet out in the river, he said.
Army Capt. Eric Hallstrom said the weapons packed about a quarter-pound of explosives each, and would be capable of killing or maiming anyone within 25 feet of the detonation.
The grenades were made in the late 1960s and are no longer used by the military, said Capt. Hallstrom, an ordnance specialist from nearby Fort Knox.
None of the grenades detonated. The Army, which is leading the investigation, took the weapons to Fort Knox.
Authorities said the weapons carry serial numbers that investigators can use to track their origin.
The smoke grenades, used for training or diversionary tactics, contain an explosive charge that goes off while releasing thick smoke.
Mr. Allen, 47, a Louisville hairstylist, said he saw the first canister while walking the riverbank Thursday morning. When he picked it up, he noticed the word “grenade” written on the side.
Thinking it might be a discarded firework, he placed it gingerly on a picnic table and began fishing at one of his favorite spots. He then noticed about a dozen more similar canisters along the river's edge.
His curiosity aroused, he used a long stick to pull out one of the containers, which had bomb written on it, Mr. Allen said.
Mr. Allen put both containers in his car trunk and went to his barbershop, where he alerted police.
Officers later told him what was inside the containers — one smoke grenade and another grenade.
“I thought, "All right, you can have them,'” Mr. Allen said. “I'll keep my fishing lures; they can have the bombs.”
Police briefly shut down the park while dive teams searched the river and bomb squad members scoured the riverbank.
“They could have done some real damage down there,” Mr. Allen said. “I'm glad I found them and got them out of the way before someone got hurt.”
Coast Guard Lt. Jeff Johnson said river traffic was asked to stay close to the Indiana side and travel at no-wake speed during the search.
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