The 5 October 2017 the divers of the Diving Operations Group of the Underwater command and incursors of the Navy detachment at the SDAI Nucleus of Ancona (Sminamento Difesa Antimazzi Insidiosi), have conducted a delicate underwater operation in the waters in front of the city of Grado, aimed at removing a dangerous explosive remnants of war residuals.
Following a report by recreational divers about the presence of a probable explosive device at 900 meters from the coast of the town, the prefecture of Gorizia requested an emergency reclamation intervention at the Diving Operations Group (GOS) of the Navy aimed at verifying its presence. The divers immersed themselves to search for and make the recognition of the reported object that, found at 6 meters deep, has been identified as a moored moat dating back to the last conflict.
The device recovered by the Comsubin operators was towed to a security zone identified by the competent maritime authority where it was destroyed.
This intervention represents one of the many activities that the Navy divisions lead to safeguarding public safety even in inland waters, as reiterated by the Decree of the Ministry of Defense of 28 February 2017, carrying out high-risk diving operations aimed at restoring safety conditions of bathing and surfing. Last year the Navy Navy have recovered and destroyed a total of 12.400 explosive remnants of war residuals, while from 1 January 2017 have already neutralized 17.617 from the seas, rivers and Italian lakes, not counting the thousands of bullets of caliber less than 12,7 mm also removed and destroyed.
With a history of 168 years behind, divers offer national excellence in the field of underwater activities being able to conduct work dives up to 1.500 meters of depth and in any operational scenario, as part of their school tasks (rescue the crews of submarines in difficulty and the neutralization of explosive devices found in maritime contexts) and in favor of the community. Because of these peculiarities the divers of the other Armed Forces and Armed Corps of the State can be trained exclusively by the Comsubin Schools Group which, through dedicated training courses, enables them to conduct shallow dives according to their respective competences.
