While diving off the coast of Fort Pierce, Florida, Luke Neiman embarked on an underwater adventure in search of lobsters. However, instead of the usual marine life like fish or sharks, he unexpectedly stumbled upon what appeared to be a torpedo. The U.S. Navy later identified this object as a suspected World War II-era munition.
The extraordinary find took place last month during a dive with his father and a friend, south of the Fort Pierce jetty. Neiman noticed an unusual structure on the ocean floor that seemed out of place among the reef, as reported by WESH 2.
"I couldn't really tell what it was, but I knew it wasn't part of the reef. I was inspecting it, looking at it, and thought, 'This just looks different,'" recounted Neiman, the diver.
Upon closer inspection, Neiman's suspicions grew about the object's identity. "Before I knew it, I thought, 'This is a torpedo,' because I could make out the end and it had a conical tip," he explained.
Neiman quickly returned to the boat and instructed his father to mark the exact location of the discovery. He then reported the finding to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
The FWC subsequently alerted the United States Coast Guard, the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office bomb squad, and the U.S. Navy. Navy explosive ordnance disposal specialists were dispatched to the site, and on September 15, 2026, they conducted a controlled underwater detonation.
"Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) personnel conducted a routine underwater munition disposal operation on September 15, 2026, in the waters off St. Lucie County," confirmed the Navy in a statement cited by WESH 2.
The Navy described the object as a suspected World War II-era munition, while Neiman, based on its shape and conical tip, believed it to be a torpedo.
For Neiman, the discovery was even more astonishing as it was located in an area he frequently visits to catch lobsters. "It really blew my mind, literally, to find a torpedo down here, right where I catch a bunch of lobsters and stuff," Neiman joked after the Navy destroyed the object.
Florida's waters have revealed other unusual finds in recent years. In August 2024, a woman discovered a bottle in Tampa Bay containing a message dated 1945, along with a cartridge, sand, and a small cannonball, items apparently linked to the World War II era. A year prior, a diver unearthed a massive megalodon tooth measuring about 15 centimeters while searching for shark teeth off the coast of Venice.
Unusual Discoveries in Florida Waters
What did Luke Neiman find while diving in Florida?
Luke Neiman discovered an object resembling a torpedo, which was later identified by the U.S. Navy as a suspected World War II-era munition.
How did the authorities respond to the discovery of the suspected torpedo?
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission alerted the U.S. Coast Guard, the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office bomb squad, and the U.S. Navy, who conducted a controlled detonation of the object.
Have there been other notable discoveries in Florida waters?
Yes, in recent years, other unusual finds include a bottle with a message from 1945 in Tampa Bay and a massive megalodon tooth near Venice.