A Maine Fisherman Discovered a 5-Foot Military Rocket 20 Miles Off Shore

Maine has over 5600 independent lobster fishermen in the state, all of them out on the coastal waters dropping their traps to make a living.

Among the lobsters their traps are usually filled with, there are oftentimes other things that get pulled off the ocean floor like horseshoe crabs, eels, puffer fish, and other odd items that somehow make their way into the trap or get hung up on it as it is pulled up to the boat.

Imagine the surprise a lobsterman got on Monday when he hauled a five-foot-long military rocket onto his boat.

He was about 20 miles offshore at the time, according to the Maine State Police. He contacted authorities on Tuesday and a bomb technician was sent out to inspect what had been hauled ashore.

After some x-rays, it was determined that the rocket didn't contain anything explosive, but they decided to take all precautions with the help of the Navy to render the rocket safe for disposal.

I'm pretty sure if I hauled up a five-foot rusted rocket off the bottom of the ocean floor, I would be freaking out a bit. I'd have two choices: Drop it and let it hit the bottom of the ocean again, possibly detonating, or carry it into shore, possibly detonating on the way in. That may not be how rockets work, but it sure would scare the heck of me thinking that it might.

Luckily the lobsterman had no problems with that and got it to the experts to make sure the worst wouldn't happen.