An Ohio homeowner’s yard work turned into a bomb squad call after a cannonball was found near the base of an old oak tree.
The discovery happened Wednesday afternoon in Middletown. Spectrum News reported that the property owner was digging in the yard when the round object turned up near the tree.
The Butler County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Unit responded and safely recovered the item. FOX19 reported that a bomb specialist identified it as a 4.75-inch solid-shot cannonball weighing nearly eight pounds.
The find is a good reminder that old or unusual objects can turn up during normal yard work. If something looks like military ordnance, officials say residents should leave it in place, move away from the area, and call law enforcement instead of trying to pick it up or move it.
The Bomb Unit Recovered the Cannonball
FOX19 reported that the sheriff’s bomb squad was called around 1:30 p.m. after the homeowner found what appeared to be a cannonball while digging at the base of the oak tree.
The item was identified as a solid-shot cannonball. Local reports did not describe it as an active explosive shell, but the sheriff’s office still treated the discovery as something that needed a trained bomb unit to evaluate and remove.
Its Origin Has Not Been Confirmed
Local 12 reported that Brian Smith of a local historical society said cannonballs are not common finds in southern Ohio.
Smith said that if the object is an Ohio artifact, it may be more likely tied to the Fort Hamilton area than to Middletown itself. He also said it could have been kept as a souvenir, possibly from a period when Civil War battlefields drew relic hunters.
The property owner chose to remain anonymous. Butler County officials safely collected the cannonball.
Old Military-Looking Objects Should Stay Put
The sheriff’s office advised residents not to handle anything that appears to be military ordnance or another suspicious item. The object should be left where it was found while local law enforcement evaluates it.
Homeowners can run into old or suspicious objects while digging, clearing a barn, cleaning out a basement, or working around sheds and outbuildings. If an item looks like a cannonball, shell, grenade, ammunition, or military equipment, do not touch it. Back away, keep other people clear, and let police or bomb technicians inspect it.