[3] Magnet fishing can recover metal debris such as discarded bicycles, guns,[4] safes,[5] bombs,[6] grenades,[7] coins and car tire rims from bodies of water, but many who engage in the hobby are hoping to find rare and valuable items as well.
[12] Some magnet fishers have retrieved dangerous objects, including loaded guns, unexploded ordnance,[13][14][6][15] and sharp pieces of metal.
[13] Amateur magnet-fishers in Belgium helped the police by recovering new evidence, specifically firearms and ammunition, related to the crimes of the Brabant killers.
[21] Like all major cities in Germany that experienced fighting and strategic bombing during World War II, unexploded ordnance poses a serious risk.
[24] According to Polish penal code, magnet fishing without a valid government permit is a crime punishable by up to two years imprisonment.
An official group exists which gives its members permission to magnet fish in a stretch of the Union Canal in Edinburgh, with more locations planned in the future.
[29] In Indiana, magnet fishing is allowed on public waters on Department of Natural Resources properties by permit.