Family’s Innocent Beach Day Nearly Turns Tragic After Uncovering Hidden WWII Bomb
What began as a carefree family outing quickly turned into a heart-stopping ordeal when Kelly Gravell and her two young children unknowingly played next to a 70-year-old unexploded World War II bomb — disguised as a harmless buoy — on a beach near Burry Port, Carmarthenshire.
Last Wednesday, 32-year-old Kelly, along with her six-year-old daughter Erin and four-year-old son Ellis, discovered the seaweed-covered object while exploring their favorite local beach. The family, fascinated by the barnacles clinging to what they assumed was a buoy, had no idea of the lurking danger beneath their feet.
It wasn’t until five days later that the beach was abruptly closed by Carmarthenshire Council after rangers identified the object as a dormant bomb. A bomb disposal team was quickly called in, and dramatic footage captured a controlled explosion that safely neutralized the decades-old threat on the far side of the harbor.
Kelly’s husband, Gareth, took to Twitter to share his shock — and a little humor — posting photos of the kids jumping on the disguised bomb, captioned: “So the buoy my kids were jumping on all weekend turns out to be a WWII bomb. Oops.”
Reflecting on the close call, Kelly said, “We were so close to disaster — it’s honestly shocking.” The couple, who run a waste management business, plan to return to their beloved beach but promise to approach any mysterious objects with far more caution in the future.
“I’m not scared to go back,” Kelly added, “but we’ll definitely think twice before touching anything like that again. We even went down to watch it get blown up — it was surreal.”
Councillor Meryl Gravell, responsible for leisure at Carmarthenshire Council, apologized for the inconvenience caused by the temporary beach closure but reassured the public that all necessary safety measures had been taken.
This incident is a powerful reminder that hidden remnants of wartime history can still pose real threats — even in peaceful, everyday places. It serves as a cautionary tale about staying vigilant when encountering unknown objects, especially in coastal areas steeped in history.
