One story from my time on a Royal Navy Clearance Diving Team has always stayed with me.We were called out to the Isle of Arran after reports that a buoyant naval mine had washed ashore.Under police escort, we raced to the island. When we arrived, the local police had cordoned off the area, but it was a glorious summer’s day. Families were still enjoying the beach only a couple of hundred metres away.Had the mine been live, they would have stood no chance. Depending on the type, buoyant mines could carry between 400 and 500 pounds of high explosive.To make matters worse, every incoming wave slammed the mine against the rocks. If it had contained explosives, each impact was another reason to be concerned.As we got closer, we breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t a live mine after all—it was a practice mine, filled with sand and used for training mine-laying crews.The danger wasn’t over, though. We couldn’t simply leave it there. The next tide could refloat it and carry it to another beach, causing panic all over again.Another diver and I geared up and prepared two 4-pound demolition charges. We towed the mine offshore, attached the charges, connected the Cordtex and detonator, lit the safety fuse and powered away in our boat.Then everything changed.The engine died.Instantly, we found ourselves drifting back towards the demolition charges with the safety fuse burning down.The engine cover came off in seconds as we desperately searched for the fault. Every passing second felt like a minute. Nobody said much—we all knew exactly what was at stake.Finally, one of the lads spotted the problem: a broken throttle cable. With nothing to lose, he grabbed it with both hands and yanked it hard enough to get the engine revving again.The boat surged forward, pulling us away from the charges.Then came the explosion.An enormous bang echoed across the water as pieces of the shattered mine rained down around us. Thankfully, none of the debris hit the boat.Back on the beach, a police officer walked over, shook his head and said,“You lads are brave… you were bloody close when that went off.”Trying to sound calm, I smiled and replied,“It was all under control… it always looks closer from the shore.”Then I walked straight past him in search of the nearest toilet… and after that, the nearest pub.Looking back, I learned a lot from that job. Explosive Ordnance Disposal isn’t just about technical knowledge or following procedures. You have to expect the unexpected, stay calm under pressure, trust your teammates, and remember that even the simplest job can change in an instant.Sometimes the biggest danger isn’t the explosive itself—it’s everything else that can go wrong before it explodes.