Working on an anonymous tip, members of the Stowarzyszenia Odkrywców Ziemi Włodawskiej organisation descended on Lake Białe after being informed that a weapon had been seen by a member of the public.
Stowarzyszenie Odkrywców Ziemi Włodawskiej
Well-known for yielding surprising discoveries and occasionally grisly finds, a scenic lake in eastern Poland has returned to the news after history enthusiasts found a WWI era rifle in its waters.
Working on an anonymous tip, members of the Stowarzyszenie Odkrywców Ziemi Włodawskiej organisation descended on Lake Białe after being informed that a weapon had been seen by a member of the public.
Receiving permission to search the lake by local authorities, the group entered with detecting equipment and neodymium magnets.Stowarzyszenie Odkrywców Ziemi Włodawskiej
Writing on Facebook the group said: “Life is full of surprises, as we saw today. A few days ago we received an unsigned letter containing information that a Mauser rifle had been seen on the muddy bottom of a lake in our region.
“Despite the rather strange form of contact, we acted on this tip and took advantage of the warm water and last sunny days.”
Writing on Facebook the group said: “Life is full of surprises, as we saw today. A few days ago we received an unsigned letter containing information that a Mauser rifle had been seen on the muddy bottom of a lake in our region.Stowarzyszenie Odkrywców Ziemi Włodawskiej
Receiving permission to search the lake by local authorities – who gave the green light within a day – the group entered the lake with detecting equipment and neodymium magnets.
“After just an hour we found it,” say the group. “The information we had received turned out to be true and we recovered a Mauser 98/GEWEHR 98 rifle.
A powerful and accurate long-range blot action rifle, the German-built Gewehr 98 saw service primarily in World War I. Stowarzyszenie Odkrywców Ziemi Włodawskiej
“Due to the geographical area, we strongly believe that it’s a relic from the battles that took place in the region in 1920 and that such a weapon belonged to Polish forces.”
Working within the regulations, the group immediately called the police so that the firearm could be safely handed over.
The firearm was later handed over to the police. Stowarzyszenie Odkrywców Ziemi Włodawskiej
Now, the group have repeated their calls for a memorial room to be founded to display such historic finds.
This is not the first time that Lake Białe has been thrust into the spotlight. In 1999 it became the subject of nationwide attention after a crocodile was spotted swimming in the waters.
In 1999 a huge crocodile was spotted in the lake but has never been found. Sometimes likened to Poland’s equivalent to the hunt for the Loch Ness Monster, today a crocodile monument stands on the shore in tribute to those heady, panicked days.Wojtek Jargiło/PAP
Despite a huge hunt being launched, the enigmatic reptile was never found. The story, though, has remained etched into the public’s memory.
Sometimes likened to Poland’s equivalent to the hunt for the Loch Ness Monster, today a crocodile monument stands on the shore in tribute to those heady, panicked days.
At the start of the millennium two corpses were discovered, whilst in 2015 the dismembered body of a woman was found – to this day, both the woman and her killer remain unidentified.Wojtek Jargiło/PAP
Despite attracting thousands of tourists and sunbathers, the lake also has a gruesome recent history.
At the start of the millennium two corpses were discovered, whilst in 2015 the dismembered body of a woman was found – to this day, both the woman and her killer remain unidentified.