French Man, 88, Turns Up at Hospital with WWI Bomb Stuck in Rectum – Hospital Partially Evacuated
Did an Elderly Man Cause a Hospital Evacuation with a WWI Shell in His Rectum?
As reported by the French newspaper *Nice-Matin*, an unusual incident took place at around 9:00 p.m. on December 17, a Saturday, when an 88-year-old man arrived at Sainte Musse Hospital’s emergency room in Toulon, a city on France’s southern coast near Marseille.
The elderly gentleman informed the hospital staff that he had a military shell lodged in his backside. He tried to assure them it was safe, explaining that the shell had been “demilitarized.” Despite his reassurances, the hospital called in a “demining unit” to assess any possible risk of explosion.
Un papy se présente aux urgences avec un obus dans l’anus à Toulon: l’hôpital partiellement évacué https://t.co/WGaFdnJXaZ pic.twitter.com/AfXxtHozep
— Var-matin (@Var_Matin) December 19, 2022
In response to the situation, the hospital organized a “partial evacuation” and moved patients from the intensive care floor, located just above the emergency room, to a tent outside. Services in gynecology and maternity departments continued “almost normally,” as stated in the report.
After evaluating the shell, it was identified as a “collector’s item” and posed no risk of explosion. Surgeons were able to remove it safely by performing an operation through the patient’s abdomen.
The shell was identified as a 57mm artillery piece from World War II.
A witness told *Nice-Matin* that the shell measured about “five or six centimeters in diameter by twenty centimeters long” – roughly two inches in width and eight inches in length.
The incident gained attention online, with photos of the shell shared across blogs and social media, reportedly showing the exact item that was retrieved.
Following the incident, the hospital thanked its staff for handling the situation with teamwork and professionalism. A spokesperson commented, “When in doubt, we took every precaution,” adding a light note that the patient clearly did not exercise the same caution, which led to the unique situation.
When reached for further comment, the hospital declined to provide additional details. They did mention, however, that while they’ve seen strange items inserted in such cases – including an apple, mango, or even a shaving foam can – a shell was definitely a first.
In an unexpected twist, it was revealed that the elderly man had inserted the World War I-era bomb, originally used by French troops in the early 1900s, for personal pleasure.
