As a full-time recovery scuba diver, I am often asked what the most interesting thing I’ve found is. Last year and in 2022 I wrote a little on this topic, and this year I’ve found many more noteworthy things. Of course, October is still early... other strange and unique finds could come up still.
I’ve had quite a few sentimental jewelry finds this year, which are always very rewarding. Wedding rings are common, (occasionally thrown in, every now and then by the owner), but one of my favorites was a dolphin pendant that was made with the ashes of a deceased loved one. I also found a twenty-year-old gold heart pendant that was gifted by a deceased spouse, and a newly made memorial photo-display pendant with photos of both a mother and grandmother. While I love finding phones, there is something special about reuniting lost jewelry that has so much meaning.
However, one of my more impressive and unlikely finds this year actually was a phone. It had been dropped off a moving boat out in the middle of a private lake. There were no coordinates available; if I have GPS coordinates, finding something like that is likely. This phone had many years of photos that weren’t backed up, including photos from their child’s first few years. I told the owner that the chance of getting to the right spot was close to zero, but they really wanted to try. Using security footage, they managed to get within twenty feet of the phone, and I was able to find it in about forty-five minutes with a metal detector. I was almost as surprised as they were!
One of my more unique finds this year was an upper denture. Last year I found a bridge, and the year before that, a crown… I’m crossing my fingers that I finally get a full set next year! My firearm count for this year is down; I only had one shotgun in a pond to find this year as opposed to last year’s three handguns at different marinas.
My heaviest find this year may have been a 30 lb. anchor, attached to 100’ of chain. It wasn’t hard to locate out in the lake, but getting it back on the boat was quite a challenge. One pair of Ray Ban sunglasses was also notably tricky, the owner had unfortunately scooped very aggressively with a net (please don’t do this!!) to try and recover them. I ended up finding seven other pairs before I found the right ones. None of the other pairs were good quality, and I don’t think the client appreciated the bonus items.
My least favorite find by far this year was a water snake. I know they’re common and harmless, but I’d pick fish or turtles as dive buddies over the water snake that was guarding the car key I was looking for any day! On the other hand, I’d be happy to dive anytime with the 10” goldfish that was hanging out at a nearby marina.
If you drop something (unique or not) and need a diver, give me a call at 586-873-8110; I’ll be happy to come out and help.
-Lisa Eick
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