Hospital Evacuated After 20-Centimeter World War I Shell Found Lodged in a Patient's Butt
France’s Rangueil Accident and Emergency unit in Toulouse was evacuated late Saturday night after a male patient arrived with a live World War I artillery shell lodged in his backside. The unnamed 24-year-old was rushed to the hospital, the bum-shell report said, "in a state of extreme discomfort, having inserted a large object up his rectum," an insider source said, the Daily Mail reported. Surgeons conducted emergency surgery, during which they discovered the source of his pain — a live, eight-inch bomb shell from 1918 that had been lodged inside him, the Sun reported. Fearing a potential fire in the hole — and hospital — medical personnel alerted the bomb squad and fire brigade and evacuated the facility. Meanwhile, a security perimeter was formed around the medical center as the authorities investigated the explosive situation. Fortunately, the retro munition, which was also pointed and over an inch wide, was not deemed a threat. The bomb disposal experts took the shell with them while the patient, a French national, remained at the hospital so he could recover from surgery. It was unclear how the antique ordnance ended up in the man’s posterior, but experts suspected the combustible could have been the result of a party stunt gone awry. However, France’s La Dépêche newspaper wrote that medical staff in Toulouse are “accustomed to treating victims injured during sexual games.” The shellshocked patient is expected to be interviewed by authorities later this week, while prosecutors are considering taking legal action against him for handling “category A munitions,” per an officer. Shells such as the one found in the man’s bum were used during the First World War by the Imperial German Army, which deployed hundreds of thousands against the British and French armies across the Western Front between 1914 and 1918. The explosives, which are date-stamped, regularly turn up during the “Iron Harvest” – the annual collection of often unexploded munitions from both world wars, which are found on farmland, building sites and other disrupted land. What do you think? Post a comment. And while a person’s backside might seem like a strange location for one of them to surface, shockingly, this wasn’t a first at a French hospital. In 2022, the Hospital Sainte Musse in Toulon was partially evacuated after an 88-year-old arrived with a World War I artillery shell similarly lodged in his anus.
In This Article:
Live 1918 Shell Discovered Inside Patient During Emergency Surgery
An unnamed 24-year-old man was rushed to Rangueil Accident and Emergency in Toulouse late Saturday night. The bum-shell report described the patient as "in a state of extreme discomfort, having inserted a large object up his rectum," an insider source said, according to the Daily Mail. Surgeons conducted emergency surgery, during which they discovered the source of his pain — a live, eight-inch bomb shell from 1918 that had been lodged inside him, the Sun reported. The retro munition, which was also pointed and over an inch wide, was not deemed a threat when removed. Bomb disposal experts took the shell with them while the patient, a French national, remained at the hospital to recover from surgery. It was unclear how the antique ordnance ended up in the man’s posterior, but experts suspected the combustible could have been the result of a party stunt gone awry. France’s La Dépêche newspaper wrote that medical staff in Toulouse are “accustomed to treating victims injured during sexual games.” The shellshocked patient is expected to be interviewed by authorities later this week, while prosecutors are considering taking legal action against him for handling “category A munitions,” per an officer.
Evacuation, Bomb Squad, and the Iron Harvest: Context and Repercussions
Shells of this kind were used during the First World War by the Imperial German Army, which deployed hundreds of thousands against the British and French armies across the Western Front between 1914 and 1918. The explosives, which are date-stamped, regularly turn up during the Iron Harvest – the annual collection of often unexploded munitions from both world wars, found on farmland, building sites and other disrupted land. The government’s response to the incident included statements later in the week; the shell was not deemed a threat and the bomb disposal team removed it for analysis. The article notes that such ordnance continues to surface in modern times, illustrating the lasting legacy of the wars. What do you think? Post a comment.
Public Reactions, the 2022 Toulon Incident, and the Murky Boundaries of Humor
What do you think? Post a comment. And while a person’s backside might seem like a strange location for one of them to surface, shockingly, this wasn’t a first at a French hospital. In 2022, the Hospital Sainte Musse in Toulon was partially evacuated after an 88-year-old arrived with a World War I artillery shell similarly lodged in his anus. Share your stance. Please adhere to our I can see how that would occur if you just happened to trip and fall back and a piece of WW1 ordinance was unexpectedly on the ground where you landed. Probably happens all the time. Or, the shell was blocking a gopher burrow, the gopher pushed it out, and it happened to hit the guy while he was gardening in the nude. Happens all the time :-) Upon hearing this news, the French government decided to surrender unconditionally. They aren't sure exactly to who, but they are surrendering. He lived, but somewhere a surgical team has a story that permanently killed their faith in humanity. He slipped and fell accidentally onto the artillery shell. Kinda like Don does every night to the BWC.
