PROVO, Utah – Two brothers discovered a machete while exploring a park in the Provo River Bottoms area, leaving the family to caution others of the hidden dangers that can exist, even in places that appear very safe.
Tonya Hamill said her boys, 11-year-old Micah and 9-year-old Otto, were searching around a dried-out stream bed at Riverview Park — located at 4620 North and 300 West — when they spotted the machete tucked away beneath a walking bridge.
“I see them carrying, like, a knife,” said Hamill, who initially didn’t believe the large knife was real. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, where did you get that?’”
Hamill said the blade appeared to be at least 12 inches long and Micah said it appeared to be relatively sharp.
“I was like, ‘What if it’s evidence for some crime,’” the mother said. “I had no idea!”
After collecting the machete, Hamill was urged by her 11-year-old to call police.
“I usually see this guy on YouTube, that whenever he finds something like a gun underwater, he always turns it in to police,” Micah Hamill said. “I thought about that. That’s what I did. I told my mom to call the police.”
The family handed the machete over to Provo Police officers.
“Even the policeman said, ‘Wow, that’s pretty creepy!’” Hamill said.
Police generally recommend children in situations like these alert an adult and contact officers if the adult believes the found item poses a danger.
A police spokesperson said the machete was entered into evidence as found property.
Hamill said what happened underscores the importance of keeping an eye on children where and with what they are playing.
“Some little kid could have found it and caused some damage,” Hamill said.
