WALTERS FERRY — A bizarre discovery in the Snake River has now led to an underwater bomb squad search.
Two weeks ago, underwater construction divers discovered two unexploded artillery shells in the Snake River under the Highway 45 bridge.
It's still unclear where the shells came from, but the Idaho National Guard says those pieces of ordnance are widely used by the military.
This week, the Idaho Department of Transportation brought in Tennessee company, VRHabilis, to sweep five acres of the Snake River.
“They basically take a metal detector up and down the river and every time it pings on something they have to stop and figure out what it is,” ITD public information specialist Jake Melder said.
The underwater bomb squad is making sure there aren't any other unexpected items when construction resumes.
“The divers are doing both a manual search and they're also carrying instruments that in essence, allow them to see down into the stream and detect an item that may be buried by sediment or any other material deposit,” VRHabilis Chief Operations Officer Elliott Adler said.
When sending divers into the water the team must make sure the diver stays oriented.
“We do that by stretching a weighted line across the river, actually in line with the current. What he'll [the diver]] do is he will search down the weighted line and when he reaches the end of it, he will move it 5-10 feet and then search his way back up the line,” Adler said.
That allows the diver to remain in position and aware of what area he's already searched.
“And that'll ensure that he has greater than 100 percent coverage,” Adler said. “That we just don’t miss anything whatsoever.”
Just this week, the squad has found a safe, a cash register drawer, and a stolen colt revolver.
It’s unclear when work on the bridge will resume.