Joris Wetzer from Deurne went magnet fishing for the first time on Saturday evening and immediately had a good bite. He found two mortar rounds from World War II. The police and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service (Defence) even had to come in to collect the grenades. “It was kind of a childhood dream to find something, but I didn’t expect to be fishing for bombs.” Joris has a taste for it, because Sunday morning he and his magnet are back at the canal.
Along the canal in Deurne, Joris is busy on Sunday morning. It has a meter-long rope with a magnet that can lift up to a thousand kilos. He throws it into the canal again and again, hoping to catch another beautiful metal treasure. “My colleague once told me about magnet fishing and then I started looking for videos about it. I thought they were interesting, so yesterday I decided to do it myself.”
So on Saturday Joris went out with his magnet for the first time. He liked it well, so he will go again on Sunday. At a canal with several bunkers, he repeatedly throws the magnet into the water with a big splash. “It’s just a new adventure every day. You can find something tangible from the past that has been under water for years. For example, from the war, I find that very interesting. When you’re busy, time also flies by.”
Catching something gives Joris a good dose of adrenaline and excitement. On Saturday that happened on his first time magnet fishing, because in no time he had caught two grenades. “I was here yesterday with my brother to see how it worked. After a while we still had nothing, so we went fishing a little further at a bunker. The first time I threw there, a mortar was immediately attached to it. . That was funny.”
Joris and his brother released the mortar from the magnet and continued fishing. “We were very enthusiastic and continued. Within twenty minutes another mortar was attached. We also immediately saw that it was a mortar, it was still intact.” The fisherman decided to call the police and they were quickly on the scene. Eventually the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service came to collect the mortar.
Although Joris and his brother thought it was a great find, he hopes for something else on Sunday. “You are busy all day with such a bomb, because we had to wait hours for the police. It would be nicer if we found a weapon or helmet or something else, that is also very exciting.”
Unfortunately, Joris has less success on Sunday. After splashing his magnet in the water for a while, he still hasn’t got a hold of it. But after Saturday’s catch, he doesn’t seem too concerned: “I already had the top prize yesterday.”