FLORENCE, Ala. (AP) A contractor working on a bridge project in Lauderdale County came across an unusual find in a creek — an old machine gun.

Paul Haralson, owner of Shotcrete of America, said he and his crew were cleaning out debris when a bucket scooped up the weapon.

Haralson said what he’d found was a Browning M1919 air-cooled machine gun. The weapon was developed at the end of World War I and was used in World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars.

Haralson drove to the sheriff’s department and turned the weapon over to Sheriff Ronnie Willis.

Willis said his office has been in touch with federal agents about the weapon. He said no one has any idea how it wound up in the creek.

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