Dock Access Restricted After Torpedo Battery Found

According to Narragansett police, portions of Galilee were restricted from access from about 12:50 p.m. to 2:08 p.m. on Thursday, after a fishing boat found a possible explosive under the waters.

Police said that at about 12:50 p.m., members of the Hope and Sydney fishing vessel contacted the Narragansett Fire Department and Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, who established a 400-foot perimeter around the Town Dock on State Street.

According to police, the crew had fished out a possible explosive, described as being more than three feet long and bright orange in color. Police said there was writing on the device that said, “If located contact Lockheed Martin.”

An employee from Lockheed Martin arrived and told police that the device did not contain explosives. However, he said it did contain a high-energy lithium ion battery, which could explode if the hull of the device was breached.

As a result, the state fire marshal’s bomb technician and the United States Navy EOD TEAM were notified. At about 1:45 p.m., they examined the device.

According to police, a Navy officer told them that the chances of the device detonating were very slight, and the size of the perimeter was reduced to 50 feet. RIDEM officers took control of the case at about 2:08 p.m.

According to a report from WPRI 12, the object was identified as a torpedo battery pack. To view their report, click here. As of 6 p.m., the battery had not been removed, but a crew from Lockheed Martin was scheduled to pick it up later that night.

Unless otherwise noted, the information for this article was compiled from Narragansett police reports, which are available for review by any member of the public at their . If we’re missing a call or report you’re interested in knowing about, feel free to leave a comment or to send Local Editor Stephen Greenwell a message at Stephen.greenwell@patch.com.