A routine lobster dive off the Florida coast took an extraordinary turn when a diver discovered what appeared to be an old torpedo resting on the seabed.
Luke Neiman was diving south of the Fort Pierce Inlet in early August when he noticed an object that did not look like part of the surrounding reef. As he moved closer to inspect it, its distinctive shape became apparent.
According to WPBF 25 News, Neiman was diving with his father and a friend when he made the discovery. He could make out what appeared to be the end of the object and a cone-shaped nose, leading him to believe he was looking at a torpedo.
Rather than disturbing it, Neiman returned to the boat and asked his father to mark the location.
He then contacted the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, setting in motion a response that would ultimately involve several agencies and the U.S. Navy.
Navy Called In
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission alerted the U.S. Coast Guard, St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office bomb specialists and the U.S. Navy after receiving the report.
The object remained underwater until September 15, when Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal personnel carried out a controlled disposal operation in the waters off St. Lucie County.
The Navy subsequently confirmed to WPBF 25 News that its EOD personnel had conducted the operation and identified the object as a suspected World War II-era munition.
The resulting underwater explosion was substantial enough to be clearly visible from shore.
Footage of the controlled detonation showed a large plume of water rising from the Atlantic off Fort Pierce. The Navy confirmed at the time that the explosion was a planned controlled detonation.
An Extraordinary Find Beneath a Familiar Dive Site
Perhaps the most remarkable part of the discovery is how ordinary the dive had initially been.
Neiman was not searching for a shipwreck or conducting an archaeological survey. He was lobster diving in waters he already knew, just south of the Fort Pierce jetty.
The Navy has described the object as a suspected WWII-era munition rather than publicly confirming its precise type, model or origin. While its appearance led Neiman to identify it as a torpedo, exactly what the device was and how it came to rest off the Florida coast have not yet been publicly established.
It is therefore important that the discovery remains described as a suspected WWII-era torpedo or munition unless further identification is released by the Navy.
The discovery is also not the first time old military ordnance has emerged around Fort Pierce.
In January 2026, another diver discovered a mortar at Pepper Park Beach, near Fort Pierce Inlet State Park. Authorities evacuated beachgoers while bomb disposal specialists responded and rendered the device safe.
A Reminder for Divers
For recreational divers, the latest discovery provides a useful reminder that objects which have spent decades underwater should never automatically be considered harmless.
Old military ordnance can remain hazardous despite corrosion and long-term exposure to seawater.
Neiman’s response provides a straightforward example of what to do when encountering something potentially dangerous underwater: do not touch or attempt to recover it, leave it in place, record or mark the location as safely as possible and report the discovery to the appropriate authorities.
In this case, what began as an ordinary Florida lobster dive eventually ended with U.S. Navy explosive ordnance specialists carrying out a controlled underwater detonation.
And somewhere beneath a familiar stretch of Florida coastline, a diver had unexpectedly uncovered what may have been lying undisturbed since the Second World War.
1 Comment
I will mention my personal thoughts about maybe why the Navy did not come out and publicly say it was a torpedo. My belief was that most likely they were unable say what type of torpedo it was so they just labeled it munition. When I received the first call from the Navy in early August about my finding we went into a very detailed conversation about everything I saw and the surrounding area some of the many questions were if I could see any markings on it, size of the fins, the propeller guard, what was the position it was laying in and what direction it was facing (which it was laying dead east to west with the nose pointing east). It was laying in sand with 3/4 of it out of the sand lying perfectly flat as if it was placed there many many years ago. The torpedo had lots of growth on it so I could understand why it would be very hard to identify the exact type and maybe that’s why they put it as munition but also I’m not a Navy torpedo expert by any means. It also was lying in a sandy area. I came across it because I was swimming from one main reef to another and was crossing over a sandy bottom with very little structure around it and spotted what I thought originally was a random small reef but it just look different. The last time I spoke with the Navy guy who I had been in contact with was the day before they detonated it and I called him because I happen to be out in the boat that late afternoon with my dad and we saw what appeared to be law enforcement boats on south beach diving in that area. So around evening time I called the Navy guy who I had been in contact with and asked if that was them out there and he confirmed it was them. I asked if they planned on blowing it up the following day he did not say yes or no just steered around the question. So then I asked was if you guys do blow it could you let me know. (The media kinda of chopped up what I said because all I asked from the Navy is that if they were going to blow it up if they could tell me so I could watch from a safe distance. I didn’t ask to be on a boat or anything I just wanted to see it blow up and I thought that was a fair request since I did everything they asked and was cooperative on anything and everything they asked of me plus I’m the one who discovered it). My last question I asked “is what I saw torpedo” and he confirmed with me and said “it’s definitely a torpedo” but was hesitant to say anything more about than that with me. So when the Navy released there statement I was little surprised when they didn’t state that it was torpedo but rather a munition but possibly could make since why they said if they couldn’t 100% without certainty know that’s what it was. I was unable to get a photo of it too because I didn’t have a underwater camera that day I found it and was heavily informed by all agencies to stay away because old ordnances can be very unstable which I already knew that. So I listened to authorities and didn’t not return to the site because you never know what could happen and a picture is not worth me losing my life over. I understand I probably have a better chance of hitting the lottery than that thing randomly going off but it’s just not worth it to me. I don’t care what people say what I should of done it was my decision not there’s. I have a beautiful wife and two small children and I was fine with my decision of not returning to the location for a picture I got a very long look when I came across it and I’m fine with that. Because let’s say hypothetically I did go back and something crazy would of happened it would turn into this why you listen to authorities when asked to do something in regards to safety measures, this could of been avoided and so on and so forth. I’m sure the Navy got plenty of photos but they probably will never release them. I just did what I was told to do. So that’s kind of a more detailed of what really happened in my experience. -Luke Neiman