Explosive find at Carrick Harbour

A 50lb case of gelignite was retrieved from Carrick Harbour by a diver in May 1968 after it fell into the water whilst being unloaded from a boat.

By The Newsroom

Published 2nd Jun 2015, 00:00 BST

It was the second time that gelignite had fallen into the harbour.

The case fell from the Glaswegian vessel ‘Reylight’ which had been missing a safety net.

The spot where the case fell into the sea was marked. A police officer was on guard until the case resurfaced.

A diver was brought from Belfast to retrieve the explosive.

It had been part of a 50-ton cargo which had been transported from Greenock destined for quarries across Northern Ireland.

Captain David Ford said: “It was not dangerous at all but we had to bring in a diver.”