Walkers stumbled across a piece of unexploded ordnance at the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge on Sunday, May 17. (Courtesy photo)
A man walking with his family at the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge on Sunday, May 17, found what he thought was an unexploded mortar projectile, presumably from a firing drill at Devens. He took it with him when leaving the refuge and turned it over to police at 4:38 p.m.
Police immediately evacuated the station as well as nearby homes and called in the Harvard Fire Department and the state bomb squad to examine the device. Police say it was a practice round that did contain explosives. The bomb squad secured the shell and disposed of it, after which residents were allowed to return to their homes.
Police caution that anyone at the Oxbow who comes across something like this should not touch it but should immediately call police.
