This Camera Returned, after 3 Years Missing at the Bottom of a Muddy Creek

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This Camera Returned, after 3 Years Missing
This Camera Returned, after 3 Years Missing



Image credit: Photograph by John Noerr


What would you do if your camera and its memory card plunges into a muddy creek during a camping trip? Of course, with a heavy heart, you’ll give the camera up and deem it lost. Even if you’re to be able to find it, it’ll be in a state of irreparable damage.


But there’s something different to this specific story of such a predicament. A camera and its memory card were able to return to its owner after 3 years of being lost at the bottom of a muddy creek.


This story was first reported by John Alexander for PostStar newspaper; a detective Sherlock Holmes-esque story.


Last month, a Vermont local by the name of John Noerr found a Canon XT DSLR at the bottom of a muddy creek. By the looks of it, the camera were in utter bad shape and would be rendered useless. But when he was accessing the memory card, he was surprised to find the memory card still in working order.


The memory card had 581 photos in it, the last one recorded on June 2009. This means that the camera had been underwater and missing for about 3 years.


With the photos in tow, Noerr realized that he may be able to find the owner of the camera by studying the details in the photographs. This includes deciphering its locations by studying the characteristics of the cityscape, the people, and the street signs recorded within the photographs.


Using two photos that depicted several houses and a street sign, Noerr was able to find one of the houses by using Google Street View. He then sought public tax records and was able to discover the last name of the owner of the house.


Finally, Noerr Googled the last name of the owner and found a Twitter account with a profile picture similar to that in the photos of the memory card. And his message to the lady in question? “I think I found your camera at the Adirondacks stream”


As it turned out, the camera belonged to the woman’s brother, Michael Comeau and he’d lost his camera in 2009 on a bridge during a camping trip.



Maybe the tiny lesson we can draw from this unique story is:


-Buy a high quality memory card, because it can guard your photos in even the most extreme conditions.


-Always attach personal info in your camera. So when your camera goes missing, there’s a chance a good person might find it and can easily return it.



Michael created this unboxing video, after having the camera shipping to him.
Also Read  Tips on taking care of a DSLR




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