Man digging trench found what looked like a grenade in rural Whatcom Co.
A man digging a trench in rural Whatcom County turned over a shovel full of dirt, exposing what resembled a military grenade.
It turned out to be a harmless dummy device, authorities told The Bellingham Herald. But law enforcement didn’t know that until after bomb squad officers were called to investigate.
Deputies were dispatched to the 1100 block of Van Dyk Road south of Lynden on Wednesday morning, Whatcom County Sheriffs’ Office spokeswoman Deb Slater said in an email.
“A civilian, who was digging a trench by hand with a shovel, struck something metal. Bellingham Police Department’s Hazardous Materials Unit responded and took custody of it,” Slater said.
Bomb squad officers “performed a visual inspection of the device and found it to be a hollow training grenade that was filled with dirt,” Deputy Chief Jay Hart said.
The Hazardous Devices Unit (HDU), also known as the Bomb Squad, is comprised of four officers who are nationally certified as Bomb Technicians, according to the City of Bellingham. Each officer has received specialty training related to investigating suspicious packages, safely handling of known explosives and providing safety training to first responders.
The team is called upon between 25 to 40 times per year to respond to known or possible threats, according to the city.
This story was originally published May 13, 2025 at 12:20 PM.
