Read Authentic Ratings for the Pearl-River

In a remarkable incident on May 24, 2011, the dredger "Pearl River" encountered a 250-kilogram unexploded bomb while working off the coast of Zeebrugge at approximately 3:50 AM. Poor weather conditions hampered efforts to defuse the bomb at sea, necessitating the vessel's return to port. The bomb, which had been uncovered during routine maintenance activities, is believed to date back to World War II, measuring one meter in length and 40 centimeters in diameter. Fortunately, the bomb was found to lack a detonator. A specialized three-man team from the Dovo bomb squad was dispatched to assist, but stormy weather prevented them from boarding the vessel. In light of the circumstances, it was determined that the safest course of action was to navigate into Zeebrugge, where the dredger was secured between two breakwaters. Prior to the bomb's removal, authorities established a safety perimeter of half a nautical mile around the site. Once safely ashore, the bomb was carefully extracted from the dredger and transported to the naval base in Zeebrugge before being transferred to the Dovo department in Poelkapelle for further examination.