Maryland State Fire Marshal

Martin OMalley Governor

News Release
William E. Barnard State Fire Marshal

WW I U.S. NAVY ANTI-SHIP MINE TRANSPORTED FOR SAFE DISPOSAL

ST. MARYS COUNTY, MD (December 31, 2012) The State Fire Marshal Bomb Squad, St. Marys County Sheriffs Office and the 55th Army EOD Team from Fort Belvoir, Virginia transported a 1917 WW I era anti-ship mine to the Newtowne Neck State Park for render-safe procedures. At approximately 2:00 p.m. on December 30, 2012, Stephen Hassay was walking along the Cuckold Creek shoreline of his fathers property in the 24000 block of Half Pone Point Road in Hollywood when he located what he thought to be an old buoy. Upon loading the device he located a placard attached to the outer shell revealing the device was a U.S. Navy mine. Believing the device to be inert, he transported the device in the back of his pick-up truck to his home in the 45000 block of Nats Creek Road and notified authorities of the located item. The subsequent investigation revealed the device was still live and required military assistance to render the device safe. The Newtowne State Park was chosen as the largest and safest location to explode the mine underground to ensure the safety of the public. The mine was rendered safe at 5:10 A.M. this morning with no reports of injuries or property damage loss. Maryland State Fire Marshal William E. Barnard reminds the public to practice the 3 Rs when military ordnance is located. Recognize that any suspicious objects found should not be touched under any circumstances. Retreat or carefully leave the area. Report immediately what was found and its approximate location to a 911 dispatcher.
### Media contact: Bruce D. Bouch, Deputy State Fire Marshal; 443-324-6876
The Office of the State Fire Marshal is an agency of the Department of State Police dedicated to helping protect citizens from fire and explosion through a comprehensive program of education, inspection, investigation and fire protection engineering. For more information on fire safety call 1-800-525-3124, log onto our website at: www.mdsp.org/firemarshal and/or http://facebook.com/MarylandStateFireMarshal.
1201 Reisterstown Road, Pikesville, MD 21208