Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

'Amber' bomb bits set man's pants on fire
The Local (Germany) ^ | 15 Jan 2014 09:47 GMT+01:00

Posted on 01/26/2014 1:45:45 PM PST by DeaconBenjamin


Amber washes up from time to time on German beaches. Photo: DPA

A pensioner suffered third-degree burns after picking up what he thought was amber on a beach in north Germany, only to find it was a chunk of white phosphorus when it ignited in his pocket and set him on fire.

The 67-year-old was walking along the Baltic coastline on Monday afternoon when he spotted a pale yellow stone he recognized as being amber – which often washes up on north-eastern German beaches.

But so do chunks of white phosphorous since they were used in World War II bombs. And to the untrained eye, the two can look similar.

Unfortunately for the man, his find was white phosphorus, not amber, police said in a statement.

After slipping it into his pocket and continuing on his walk, it burst into flames and set him on fire.

Despite being in the relatively remote area of Steine, near Kiel in Schleswig Holstein, there was an angler nearby who spotted the burning man and called an ambulance.

White phosphorus cannot be extinguished with water, and the man suffered third-degree burns. On Wednesday he was still being treated at a specialist clinic.

Schleswig Holstein police confirmed in a statement that the Hubertsberg beach had been shut off and was being searched for further munitions.

The state's office for criminal investigation is warning walkers to never pick up something if they are not sure what it is.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last

1 posted on 01/26/2014 1:45:45 PM PST by DeaconBenjamin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: DeaconBenjamin

yikes!


2 posted on 01/26/2014 1:48:07 PM PST by smokingfrog ( sleep with one eye open (<o> ---)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DeaconBenjamin

Bring Da Amber Lamps!


3 posted on 01/26/2014 1:49:52 PM PST by dfwgator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dfwgator

Never store Willie Pete next to your peter or your willie.


4 posted on 01/26/2014 1:52:36 PM PST by Tijeras_Slim
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: DeaconBenjamin

I would seriously question whether this guy was telling the truth...


5 posted on 01/26/2014 1:59:45 PM PST by Hegemony Cricket (The emperor < still > has no pedigree.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DeaconBenjamin
amber – which often washes up on north-eastern German beaches.

A clue as to what happened to the Amber Room?

6 posted on 01/26/2014 1:59:54 PM PST by PAR35
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: PAR35

We still don’t know where that went.


7 posted on 01/26/2014 2:03:41 PM PST by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: DeaconBenjamin

Ouch. That had to hurt.


8 posted on 01/26/2014 2:04:38 PM PST by Cyber Liberty (H.L. Mencken: "The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hegemony Cricket

Could have been worse. Could have been Na.


9 posted on 01/26/2014 2:05:42 PM PST by Cyber Liberty (H.L. Mencken: "The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: dfwgator

10 posted on 01/26/2014 2:13:17 PM PST by Rodamala
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: DeaconBenjamin

Amber! Amber! Pants on fire!


11 posted on 01/26/2014 2:18:08 PM PST by ClearCase_guy (Anti-Complacency League! Baby!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hegemony Cricket
I would seriously question whether this guy was telling the truth...

After all, his pants were on fire.

12 posted on 01/26/2014 2:21:54 PM PST by sportutegrl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: DeaconBenjamin

Next time you see a guy with pants on fire, better put out an Amber Alert!


13 posted on 01/26/2014 2:24:26 PM PST by bigbob (The best way to get a bad law repealed is to enforce it strictly. Abraham Lincoln)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DeaconBenjamin

Casualty of WW-II.....


14 posted on 01/26/2014 2:25:52 PM PST by varmintman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DeaconBenjamin

Poor guy. I hope he recovers well.


15 posted on 01/26/2014 2:55:36 PM PST by OldNewYork
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DeaconBenjamin

Willie Pete can still be lethal after almost 70 years lying in salt water?


16 posted on 01/26/2014 3:02:48 PM PST by jmacusa ("Chasing God out of the classroom didn't usher in The Age of Reason''.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: tet68

It was last seen at the other end of the Baltic. If either the Russians shipped it east, or the Germans west, and it went down somewhere en route, would the prevailing currents carry the broken up amber to the German coast near the outlet of the Baltic? About 160 ships went down during Operation Hannibal along most of the length of the Baltic, and some of those could be candidates.


17 posted on 01/26/2014 3:03:11 PM PST by PAR35
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: PAR35
The German's thoroughly trashed The Hermitage.My guess is it either was blasted by artillery or melted in a fire.
18 posted on 01/26/2014 3:05:44 PM PST by jmacusa ("Chasing God out of the classroom didn't usher in The Age of Reason''.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: jmacusa

It’s pretty clear that one way or the other, the Soviets were responsible for the loss.


19 posted on 01/26/2014 3:07:07 PM PST by PAR35
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: DeaconBenjamin

“The state’s office for criminal investigation is warning walkers to never pick up something if they are not sure what it is”.
How dumb we humans have become when we need to be instructed by the state’s office for criminal investigation not to pick up unknown objects.


20 posted on 01/26/2014 3:16:41 PM PST by certrtwngnut (')
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson