Alex Trelinski
A BOAT on a Costa Blanca fishing trip netted an unusual catch on Saturday in the form of a torpedo.
The group of leisure anglers spotted the American-made Mark 46 torpedo in waters close to Tabarca island.
The torpedo type is one that has been used for years by the Spanish navy.
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The anglers pondered whether or not to take it on board, but erred on the side of caution and took another approach.
Believing it would be too dangerous to leave where it was, they put a rope on the end of the torpedo and towed it to shore.
Posting on social media, the group said: “We removed it immediately because a high-speed boat or a jet ski could have collided with it.”
Once on dry land, they contacted the Guardia Civil to get the torpedo removed.
One of the fishermen, Pedro Pertegal, said the Guardia did not believe them at first until they sent them a photo of the unexploded weapon.
Inquiries as to its origin are continuing, with it safely in army custody.
One line of speculation is that it may have gone missing during NATO exercises in the Mediterranean Sea in either 1993 or 1994.
