An active military-grade hand grenade was uncovered Saturday afternoon in the parking lot outside a McDonald's in Thurmont, Md. It was found about a foot below the ground, around 1 p.m., by a landscaping crew when it was unearthed by a shovel machine, according NBC Washington.
Photos from @FNP_syu & story by @Nancy_Lavin228 about live grenade found outside #mcdonalds https://t.co/tmD9nhdFJq pic.twitter.com/TkadfFs0Hd
— Frederick News-Post (@frednewspost) August 8, 2015
The grenade was safely removed by bomb technician Dale Ednock, according to the Fredrick News-Post.
Ednock told the News-Post that the grenade found lodged under the pavement was there for quite some time, and theorizes that it was likely a relic of the military base located in Thurmont several decades ago.
No injuries were reported, but Ednock confirmed through an X-ray scan on scene that the grenade was still active. If it had gone off, anyone in the vicinity could have suffered severe injuries or death, he said, according to Grub Street.
"If the guy operating the shovel machine had hit it, he would have been killed, no question," said Ednock.
Customers and employees were evacuated, roads were closed and a 50-foot perimeter was established around the site. It allegedly took two hours before the bomb was removed.
