Pedestrian finds smoke grenade ordnance while walking along Route 11

The smoke grenade on right has been altered with military lettering obscured and covered in duct tape. (Courtesy images)

LIMINGTON, Maine - A man found what appears to be a military grenade while walking along Route 11 in Limington on Saturday.

According to a press release from the York County Sheriff's Office, the man, a Limington resident, said he found the suspicious looking device around 11:30 a.m.

The man took the device home and called the sheriff's office.

When Deputy Tom Searway responded, he determined that the device was a military grade M-18 smoke grenade that appeared to have been altered with electrical tape, having recalled the grenade's appearance from his military days.

It was determined that the device could still be active, so the Maine State Police bomb squad was called and detonated the device safely.

While the YCSO was thankful for the Limington man's help, they recommend that anybody who finds such a device not handle them as they are likely to be unstable and dangerous to touch, so it is advised they call police immediately.

The press release noted no possible explanation as to how the device came to be found alongside the road or whether it was found to have been holding an active charge when detonated.

YCSO officials were not immediately available.