Fisherman discovers unexploded 45kg bomb on a coral reef off Australia's coast - as Navy divers risk their lives to safely tow it into deep waters
A live and unexploded 45 kilogram bomb has been safely towed into deep waters after a fisherman discovered the device on a coral reef.
A local angler found the device on Elizabeth Reef at Lord Howe Island, off the New South Wales coast, on Sunday.
He had been visiting the reef with his wife and photographed his discovery before reporting it to authorities.
Navy divers aboard HMAS Adelaide carefully removed the abandoned explosive by floating it to the surface and towing it further out to sea where it was dropped into 550-metre-deep waters.
Defence personnel admitted the item could have posed 'a significant risk to the general public'.
A live and unexploded 45 kilogram bomb has been safely towed into deep waters after a fisherman discovered the device on a coral reef (pictured, military personnel safely disposed of the bomb on Sunday)
A local angler found the device on Elizabeth Reef at Lord Howe Island , off the New South Wales coast, on Sunday
'That depth is really safe. It's not going to ever get washed back up onto the reef,' senior marine parks officer John Pritchard said.
'There's no deep-sea fishing or trawling allowed out there. It's a recreational fishing zone only.
'The chances of that UXO (unexploded ordinance) ever coming back to the surface is negligible.'
The origin of the bomb is not known and divers couldn't estimate its age owing to deterioration, a spokesman for Environment Minister Sussan Ley said.
Bombs of that size were used as long ago as World War I, sometimes dropped from aircraft to target submarines.
The minister's spokesman said it had been a 'lengthy operation' between the bomb's initial discovery and retrieval, during which time the reef was closed to visitors.
Ms Ley said the fisherman and Navy divers had potentially saved lives and one of Australia's most important reefs.
'The device was regarded as live by the Navy and the consequences could have been quite frightening,' she said in a statement on Sunday.
Navy divers aboard HMAS Adelaide carefully removed the abandoned explosive by floating it to the surface and towing it further out to sea where it was dropped into 550-metre-deep waters
Bombs of that size were used as long ago as World War I, sometimes dropped from aircraft to target submarines (pictured, military search team search for the device on Sunday)
'Thankfully the reef's precious ecosystem is safe and most importantly so are future visitors.'
Elizabeth Reef is about 160km north of world heritage-listed Lord Howe Island and spans 8.2km by 5.5km.
Along with nearby Middleton Reef, it is the southernmost coral reef platform in the world.
'There's been 125 corals identified there over 300 species of fish,' Mr Pritchard said.
'It's quite a unique environment and, because it's so far from anywhere, it's relatively untouched.'