A 24-year-old man arrived at hospital complaining of severe pain before surgeons discovered a World War 1 shell lodged inside him, prompting an emergency response

12:00, Mon, Feb 2, 2026 Updated: 12:07, Mon, Feb 2, 2026

A picture taken on April 4, 2020 shows the entrance of the Rangueil hospital in Toulouse, southern France, during a strict lockd

Bomb specialists were called to Rangueil hospital over the weekend (Image: LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP via Getty Images)

A bomb disposal unit was called to an A&E department after a man arrived at hospital with a World War One shell lodged in his bottom. The 24 year old presented himself at Rangueil Hospital in Toulouse, France, complaining of severe discomfort on Saturday night.

He was immediately taken to the operating theatre where surgeons began examining his condition. In an incident reminiscent of scenes from Grey's Anatomy, doctors discovered he had a military shell stuck in his rectum.

Rangueil hospital

The man turned up at Rangueil hospital with a shell in his bum (Image: LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP via Getty Images)

The hospital was evacuated by authorities at approximately 3am local time. Bomb disposal specialists were summoned alongside police and fire services, according to 20 Minutes France.

"As a precautionary measure, firefighters are mobilized to reinforce in order to prevent any risk of fire during the intervention," La Dépêche reported.

The object has been identified as a 3.7cm shell measuring approximately 16cm in length. Two bomb squad personnel were required to extract and make it safe.

French police sources reportedly said: "At the time of the extraction, the surgeon realized that it was a shell of the First World War, about 16 centimetres long and 4cm wide."

WWI bomb appeared in field after heavy rain

WWI bomb appeared in field after heavy rain (Image: Getty Images)

How the shell came to be inside the man remains unknown. However, French media outlets report that he is expected to be questioned by authorities in an attempt to establish what occurred.

Whilst shells from the First World War are frequently discovered at construction sites or in fields throughout Europe, finding them lodged inside a person is considerably rarer. The individual is reportedly recuperating well following the incident.

This isn't the first instance of a French citizen having an unfortunate run-in with a WWI artefact. In 2022, a man in Toulon claimed he "stumbled upon" a bomb.

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The 88-year-old maintained that it was a war memorabilia. The incident necessitated a partial evacuation of Hospital Sainte Musse.

A spokesperson stated: "An emergency occurred from 9pm to 11.30pm on Saturday evening that required the intervention of bomb disposal personnel, the evacuation of adult and paediatric emergencies as well as the diversion of incoming emergencies."