What started as a bright, sunny day full of laughter at the beach nearly ended in disaster for a family in Carmarthenshire, Wales. In the summer of 2015, Gareth and Kelly Gravell took their young children—six-year-old Erin and four-year-old Ellis—to Burry Port for a relaxing seaside outing. The beach was calm, the tide had receded, and the children were excited to explore.
As they wandered among the shells, seaweed, and scattered driftwood, the kids’ attention was drawn to a peculiar object partially hidden in the sand—a large, round form covered in seaweed. To Erin and Ellis, it looked like a weathered buoy, a typical item you might expect to wash ashore. Their parents assumed it was harmless. Laughing, the children clambered onto the object, balancing, jumping, and turning it into part of their seaside adventure. Gareth took photographs of the moment, capturing what seemed like a simple day of fun.
The family left the beach with sandy shoes, smiles, and photos of what appeared to be an ordinary summer day. Little did they know, those very photos had captured the image of a potential catastrophe.
Just a few days later, the situation took a dramatic turn. Local council rangers quickly closed off the beach after identifying the “buoy” as something far more dangerous: an unexploded World War II mine. The rusted, seaweed-covered object Erin and Ellis had been playing on was not a harmless relic—it was a live bomb, dormant but still deadly after more than seventy years.
Authorities acted immediately. Bomb disposal experts were called in, and the only safe course was a controlled detonation. Spectators watched from a safe distance as the mine was carefully towed to the far side of the harbor. Moments later, a massive explosion obliterated the decades-old weapon, sending sand and water skyward. Video footage of the blast underscored just how close the family had come to real danger.
Gareth was stunned upon learning the truth. Sharing the story on social media, he posted the family photos alongside the shocking revelation. His tweet, mixing disbelief with humor, read: “So the buoy my kids were jumping on all weekend turns out to be a WWII bomb. Oops.” The post went viral, with thousands reacting to the narrow escape. Some responded with relief, others with amusement, noting just how close the family had come to tragedy.
Reflecting later, Gareth admitted the reality was hard to grasp. “You never expect something like this at a beach you visit regularly,” he said. “It looked old and rusted, so we assumed it was just part of the usual debris along the coast.”
Experts explained that the mine had likely remained buried under sand for decades, only to be uncovered by recent tides and shifting weather. Kelly Gravell recounted how Erin and Ellis had been fascinated by the barnacles on the object and how, at the time, nobody imagined the danger. “We even joked about it looking like a bomb,” she admitted. “Now, thinking back, it’s terrifying. We were so close to disaster.”
Though shaken, the family wasn’t deterred from returning to the beach—but with newfound caution. “I wouldn’t be afraid to go back,” Kelly said, “but we’ll definitely think twice before touching or climbing on something unknown. We even returned to watch the authorities destroy it—it was surreal.”
Council officials praised the public for following evacuation instructions and apologized for the temporary beach closure. Councillor Meryl Gravell reassured residents that safety was prioritized above all else.
The incident serves as a sobering reminder that remnants of wartime—unexploded bombs and mines—can still pose serious hazards decades later. Across Europe, construction, shifting tides, or chance discoveries occasionally reveal such dangers, sometimes in unexpected places, even family beaches.
For the Gravell family, the day became an unforgettable story. Photos that once captured a cheerful afternoon now stand as chilling evidence of how close they were to disaster. Erin and Ellis had played atop a deadly piece of history, and only luck spared them.
Gareth and Kelly have since urged caution to others exploring coastal areas. “If you see something unusual, don’t assume it’s safe,” Gareth advised. “Always report it and stay safe.”
What could have been a devastating tragedy instead turned into a story of relief, awareness, and gratitude. For Erin and Ellis—too young at the time to understand the danger—it remains a tale their parents will retell for years: the day they played on history and walked away unharmed.