Teenager finds unexploded bomb in River Ure – video

Cameron Makewell, 14, was driving the drone in the River Ure, between Bishop Monkton and the Newby Hall estate, when he came across a strange cylindrical object in the murky low-visibility water.

The young explorer, who is currently studying for his GCSEs, believed it to be a gas canister until his dad, Adam Makwell, 47, told him that he had stumbled across a Second World War Bomb.

And, at the time, they didn’t know was live.

“I didn’t believe my dad at first when he told me it was a bomb – I thought there was no way,” said Cameron. “I was thinking to myself ‘oh my God’ and my heart started racing but it didn’t stop me from getting a closer look – I didn’t know it was live at the time.”

The Second World War bomb found by Adam Makewell and his son Cameron Makewell in the River Ure (Image: Adam Makewell/SWNS) The father and son duo, from Rippon, near Leeds, were stood about 50 metres from the two-metre-long shell.

Four days later, the Royal Navy cordoned off an area of almost 1km and exploded the bomb, believed to have been a SC500kg aerial explosive bomb thought to have been dropped by a Junkers JU 87 ‘Stuka’ dive bomber.

Max and Adam had arrived at the location at 8am on Saturday, March 22, to trial some new lighting equipment for their underwater drone’s, also known as ROV’s.

After performing some tests, Adam, who works in an egg factory, told Cameron to “have some fun” while he packed away the equipment.

Cameron and Adam Makewell with their underwater drones (Image: Adam Makewell/SWNS) Cameron later found “what he thought was a gas canister”, said Adam, adding: “As soon as I saw it, I knew exactly what I was looking at.”

The panicked dad said he “stayed calm” but knew if the bomb had detonated it would have “easily” killed them.

Adam said he found the bomb in a “popular” area of the lake which was “frequently” used by local driving boats, swimming, and canoeing.

“It will have been passed over thousands of times and no one would have known a thing,” he said.

The unexploded Second World War bomb found in the River Ure, between Bishop Monkton and the Newby Hall estate (Image: Adam Makewell/SWNS) The duo then packed up their gear and set off for the police station.

North Yorkshire Police said the device was “not deemed to be any immediate risk”.

A force spokesperson said specialist navy divers detonated the device on Wednesday, March 26.

“Police, navy, fire and a range of other organisations were involved in making the area safe and managing any potential risk to local wildlife and the river,” they said.

Cameron and Adam Makewell (Image: Adam Makewell/SWNS) Cameron said finding the bomb has “sparked a further interest” in the history of the area during the Second World War.

He and his dad are hoping the bomb will one day be displayed in their local museum in Rippon.