SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. — Delaware State Police are investigating a case in which a metal object, which possibly fell from the sky, crashed through a roof in Sussex County.
The incident happened on Wednesday morning, according to the homeowner. The house is located in the Liberty West community near Georgetown. Homeowner Jean Vennes told WBOC he was inside brushing his teeth when he heard a loud explosion.
“I jumped out of my skin,” Vennes said. “My heart was pumping.”
State police said they responded to the scene around 12:50 pm. Officials said a metal object, measuring about 5 by 17 inches, tore through part of the home's roof and exterior siding. The object was later found lodged in the grass near the home.
Vennes said he was initially unsure what caused the noise until a neighbor alerted him to the damage. Next-door neighbor Brenda Wisor said she was washing dishes when she heard the loud bang."
“I went outside and saw a hole near the attic,” Wisor said. “It sounded like a really large bang. Like a piece of metal hitting concrete, or a wall falling down."
Vennes said he initially believed it may be from part of a plane.
“We did some research with the serial number, and it says it comes from a jet engine,” Vennes said.
On Friday, Delaware State Police said a man contacted them after hearing reports of the incident to tell them he had been operating a rotary cutter nearby at the time. While operating the cutter, a blade broke off and was thrown thrown from the machine, according to investigators.
Police determined this was the metal object that struck the house.
Still, the incident left Vennes and neighbors shaken. Luckily, no injuries were reported, but neighbors said the outcome could have been much worse.
"I've been thinking about it since it happened," Wisor said. "It was right there; it could have been in here."
"Of all the houses, why mine?" Vennes said. "It's probably a once-in-a-lifetime thing that it would happen here. But it did."
While Vennes said he hopes insurance will cover the damage, he noted he will still have to pay the deductible out of pocket.
“It’s not my fault — it’s mechanical,” Vennes said. “But then again, why my house? We just bought this house about 14 months ago.”
Investigators have not said when they expect to determine the origin of the object.