Discovery and MythBusters respond to cannonball accident

By April MacIntyre Dec 8, 2011, 1:59 GMT

On Tuesday, December 6, 2011, MythBusters, produced for Discovery Channel by Beyond Productions, was filming on a closed set at the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department bomb range in Alameda County, California.

Statement from Discovery Channel and Beyond Productions:

On Tuesday, December 6, 2011, MythBusters, produced for Discovery Channel by Beyond Productions, was filming on a closed set at the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department bomb range in Alameda County, California.

During the testing, a cannonball took an unforeseen bounce from a safety berm. No injuries were reported, but damage was reported in one Dublin home and one parked car.

All proper safety protocol was observed. Additionally, Sgt. JD Nelson, Public Information Officer and bomb technician for the Alameda County Sheriff’s office, who is a regular safety explosives expert for MythBusters, was on site. Beyond Productions is currently assessing the situation and working with those whose property was affected.

Updated 12/7, 2PM PT:  Everyone at MythBusters, Beyond Productions and Discovery Channel is incredibly thankful that no one was injured and are very sorry for the disruption that this has caused for both the families affected, and the entire community of Dublin.

The comfort and safety of the families affected is our utmost concern. We have offered immediate housing and transportation assistance and will continue to assess their needs. We are cooperating fully with investigators, and are currently assessing yesterday’s incident to ensure an incident like this does not happen again.

The cannonball in question landed in a Tassajara Creek neighborhood, where children were returning home from school at 4:15 p.m., authorities said.

There, the 6-inch projectile cruised through a home on Cassata Place, leaving a round hole in the stucco, crossed six-lane Tassajara Road, took out several tiles from the roof of a home on Bellevue Circle and finally landed on a family's beige Toyota Sienna minivan in a driveway on Springvale Drive.

The popular show is based in San Francisco. Hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman use science experiments to confirm or debunk rumors or myths.