Losing Something Dear
When we lose something that is dear to our hearts, it can be devastating. We hope and pray that we will find it again, but after, most of us will just continue with our lives. When we lose something we are sure we will never recover, we have no choice but to give up on the search. However, fate sometimes gives a helping hand.
Losing Something Dear
The Impossible Happens
However, very occasionally, the impossible happens. For instance, a group of divers from a Canadian university’s marine ecology department stumbled across something which had been lost for many years during one of their routine expeditions. The team’s curiosity was really piqued, so they started a search to find the long-lost item’s owner.
The Impossible Happens
A Research Dive
On the morning of the 13th of May 2014, a team from Canada’s Simon Fraser University’s marine ecology department conducted a research dive in order to study the waters near the coast of Bamfield, which is near the west coast of Vancouver Island.
A Research Dive
Clear Objectives
The team had started their day with a really specific goal in mind, they had discussed it many times over with everybody clear of their objectives. But the purpose of the dive that day quickly changed.
Clear Objectives
Initial Goal
The diving team’s purpose was to study the different species of starfish that are in the area. They had hoped to get some insight into the animals’ behavior — both in their natural environment and the school laboratory.
Initial Goal
Was This A Treasure?
However, in an unexpected turn of events, something that was embedded in the sea bed captured the attention of two of the students. It was definitely not what either of them had expected to come across.
Was This A Treasure?
The Discovery
Beau Doherty and Tella Osler saw something on the seafloor which did not look like part of the natural ecosystem. The thing had hard edges. It also had a leather strap waving in the current.
The Discovery
A Very Old Camera
Lifting their discovery out of the sand, Beau was astounded to see that it had a round lens. It was very old and sea life and algae had completely encrusted the rusted metal exterior of the thing, but they could still tell that it was a very old camera!
A Very Old Camera
Who Was The Owner?
Beau placed the rusted camera inside his pocket and went on with his research. He could not help but wonder, though, who the owner of the old camera was. Recalling the fateful find, Professor Isabelle Côté said in an interview, “One of them picked it up and put it in his pocket and kept counting the starfish.” She added, “When they came up from the dive, he said, ‘Look what I found.’”
Who Was The Owner?
Catching Her Eye
When the divers went back to the boat, Beau revealed his discovery, right away the camera caught the eye of Isabelle’s co-professor who was also on the boat, Siobhan Gray. She was also conducting research but for the Bamfield Marine Sciences Center.
Catching Her Eye
Additional Investigation
Not only did the camera intrigued her, but so did the fauna growing on its surface. Siobhan decided to take the item back to her lab to further investigate it… and she was not disappointed.
Additional Investigation
More Interesting Than The Camera
Besides the camera, Siobhan was really excited about the miniature ecosystem which was living on as well as inside the old camera. Once the camera was opened up and its insides were revealed, Siobhan felt ecstatic.
More Interesting Than The Camera
Further Discoveries
Aside from finding numerous species of algae, there were also two brittle stars (which are similar to starfish) as well as a sea cucumber living inside. However, as luck would have it, she discovered more…
Further Discoveries
The Memory Was Intact
Amazingly, the memory card of the camera was still relatively intact! The entire diving team was now more than intrigued. Black algae covered the SD card, but the team hoped it would still work, and it would be even better if a few photographs had survived. Perhaps they could identify and track down the original owner.
The Memory Was Intact
Growing Excitement
Siobhan said excitedly, “My first thought about the camera was, are there still images on the card?” In the interview, she could hardly contain herself talking about the possibility of what was on the card. What could it have been?
Growing Excitement
Hoping For The Best
Siobhan carefully cleaned all of the memory card’s contacts using an earbud and some rubbing alcohol. Then, she placed it into the slot in her computer and hoped for the best. Lo and behold, the card worked.
Hoping For The Best
Contained Memories
The Lexar Platinum card was still working and it still contained a lot of videos and photos. Siobhan was reluctant to go through another person’s personal and secret memories, but she still continued to look at each photo, unable to take her eyes off of them. The videos and photos were of different people at various get-togethers, with some dating as far back as July 30, 2012.
Contained Memories
Did Not Feel Right
It was definitely exciting looking at the photos, but doing it somehow did not feel right. Photo after photo flashed before her eyes. However, long before she got to the end, she already knew something needed to be done, but the question was what and how?
Did Not Feel Right
Doing Their Best
Both Isabelle and Siobhan knew that they had to do their best to find the original owner. Little did they know, however, that they were going to unlock a harrowing story.
Doing Their Best
Their Search Begins
Isabelle and Siobhan knew taking the pictures to social media was the best chance they had in finding the owner of the camera. They started to tweet out a number of the photos using the hashtag “#detectives.”
Their Search Begins
Nobody Came Forward
Not long after they had done this, the photos garnered hundreds of retweets and comments. In spite of the photos getting plenty of attention, nobody came forward, so the ladies decided to try another tactic.
Nobody Came Forward
Putting Up Flyers
Siobhan and Isabelle knew they were nowhere near being able to locate the owner of the camera on Twitter, so the team eventually decided to print out the photos and post them around town. How conscientious of them, right?
Putting Up Flyers
Finally, A Lead!
Soon, a member of the Navy saw a photo and recognized the man in it. Could the man be the same person that they had rescued from a shipwreck? They finally had their first lead!
Finally, A Lead!
The Man In The Pictures
Vancouver artist Paul Burgoyne lost his boat back in 2012 when it sank. After the man had been identified, the Navy officer looked for his phone number to try and get further information. He was so relieved with what happened next.
The Man In The Pictures
Very Exciting!
The officer took the camera, hoping to return it to the man. Finally, their search yielded some results, so Siobhan and Isabelle were quite thrilled. However, would this be the end of the story?
Very Exciting!
The Owner
On the morning of the 21st of May 2014, Siobhan received the phone call which finally ended the mystery. On the other end was Paul Burgoyne and “He was thrilled,” she said. “He says when he got off the phone with the Coast Guard he and his wife were laughing a great deal and mentioned how lucky he was.” However, Siobhan only understood when she heard his harrowing tale.
The Owner
The Story Behind The Lost Camera
Paul turned out to be an extremely lucky man and he told Siobhan how his camera had gotten lost. On the 20th of July 2012, Paul was on his sailboat heading to his summer home located in Tahsis, British Columbia.
The Story Behind The Lost Camera
Lost In The Wreck
At first, his trip had gone smoothly until he was caught in bad weather. The sea grew turbulent, and his boat got thrown against some rocks. Subsequently, his camera got lost in the wreck.
Lost In The Wreck
Stranded And Rescued
When the boat crashed against the rocks, the hull was smashed apart. Paul was stranded in the very cold water and developed hypothermia. Fortunately for him, patrons at a nearby inn saw him and phoned the Coast Guard. However, he was only rescued and returned to shore six hours later …
Stranded And Rescued
Heartbroken About The Lost Camera
Even though Paul was definitely thankful he had made it out the harrowing experience alive, hundreds of his personal possessions had also been lost in the wreck. Throughout the years, and while it really hurt him, he had come to accept what had happened…
Heartbroken About The Lost Camera
So Fortunate!
His possessions could be replaced but he was still really heartbroken about his camera. However, he had received the Navy officer’s call informing him about his camera. He could not believe that he was so lucky that it had been found!
So Fortunate!
A Reminder
It was actually not an ordinary family reunion that was depicted in the photos on Paul’s camera. They had been taken during the time his late mother’s ashes were scattered. The photos were a reminder to be grateful — after all, he had almost lost his life the night he had lost his camera.
A Reminder
The Fated Return
Siobhan and Isabelle were really careful to back up the SD card’s contents before they gave it to the officer. Isabelle explained, “That card seems to be a little unlucky.” But how did Paul feel about getting his SD card back?
The Fated Return
Precious Memories
Paul is delighted that his precious memories are back — he never thought that he would see those bittersweet photos ever again. Thankfully, fate lent him a hand and he got them back. Paul is definitely a lucky man!
Precious Memories
The Kronan
If this camera was any proof, buried treasure does exist; you just have to be in the right place at the right time to find it! Just ask the adventurers who found the Kronan, the largest ship ever built for the Swedish navy…
The Kronan
Maritime Battle
The luck of the ship ended in 1676. During a maritime battle, the Kronan hit rough waters and capsized while making a sharp turn. The gunpowder on board set on fire, and well, that was that.
Maritime Battle
Aquatic Life
For three hundred years, the Kronan sat peacefully at the bottom of the ocean and housed all sorts of aquatic life. Would anyone ever discover its whereabouts and gather the artifacts inside?
Aquatic Life
Anders Franzen
Amazingly, in 1980, an amateur researcher named Anders Franzen discovered the shipwreck’s location. The Swedish government-sponsored yearly archaeological dives to collect any lost artifacts. What was hidden in the ship for so many years?
Anders Franzen
Fascinating Quest
The divers who went on the quest were fascinated. It was obvious the ship was used for war. Breaks in the vessel’s sides had old rusted cannons bulging out. After a careful search of the ship, it was easy to picture what the massive structure looked like sailing the high seas. There were numerous small rooms for housing the men aboard, and each one was equipped with weaponry.
Fascinating Quest
Kalmar County Museum
The divers had special equipment they used to help clear the sand and mud that piled up on all the surface areas. Buried underneath was an inventory of ancient treasures…Whatever the divers reclaimed from the wreck was going straight into the Kalmar County Museum in Sweden. The museum had an entire Kronan exhibit ready for unveiling once they excavated the items.
Kalmar County Museum
Old Rifles & Firearms
The dive teams discovered a huge amount of old rifles and firearms. The weapons showed remarkable information about seventeenth-century warfare. Information that experts may not have even known.
Old Rifles & Firearms[/caption]
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