June 4th 2024.
James Kane, a skilled magnet fisher, has spent countless hours scouring the waters of New York City, retrieving all sorts of discarded items. But nothing could have prepared him for the surprising discovery he made last Friday. With the help of his girlfriend, Barbi Agostini, he pulled a slimy safe out of the lake in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, a famous location known for hosting the 1939 and 1964 World's Fairs. As they pried open the safe, they were greeted with a stack of waterlogged and gunk-covered $100 bills.
Excited and in disbelief, Kane exclaimed, "Oh, that's money!" while Agostini gasped in shock. The couple estimated that the safe contained around $100,000, though the bills were in a deteriorated state and stuck together. Despite the condition of the bills, they could still make out the 3D security ribbon, indicating that they were relatively new. However, there were no clues as to who the rightful owner could be.
Kane and Agostini did the responsible thing and immediately reported their discovery to the police. However, to their surprise, they were told that there was no evidence of a crime. The police returned the money to the couple, citing the "finders keepers" rule. The New York Police Department's public information office released a statement stating that the value and authenticity of the currency could not be determined due to its deteriorated state.
Kane is not the only magnet fisher who has made a remarkable find in recent years. Just last month, a magnet fisher in New Orleans stumbled upon a human skull that was padlocked to an exercise dumbbell. In another incident, someone fishing in a creek in Georgia pulled up a rifle and personal belongings belonging to a couple who had been killed nine years ago.
Magnet fishing has become a popular hobby, with enthusiasts using powerful magnets attached to long ropes to scour the depths of water bodies. Some even have magnets strong enough to pull objects weighing up to 900 kilograms. As they drag the lines through the water and mud, they retrieve items that would have otherwise gone unnoticed.
However, with the rise in popularity of magnet fishing, skeptics have emerged, questioning the legitimacy of some of the finds. But for Kane, it may just be a case of sheer luck. He has retrieved bicycles, guns, grenades, and even jewelry from the New York City waterways, documenting his adventures on social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
When asked about his success, Kane simply shrugged and said, "I have seen and worked with other magnet fishers that can hit a spot for three months, and I'll come along and throw the same magnet and find something that they've been trying to get the entire time. I personally can't explain that."
Many of Kane and Agostini's videos end with them calling the police to report their findings, with officers often arriving to take away the items as potential evidence. In some instances, they have even had the bomb squad called in to handle dangerous items such as grenades. Despite the potential danger, Kane and Agostini remain dedicated to their hobby and continue to share their findings with the world.
As for the soggy money they retrieved, Kane and Agostini have plans to take it to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington to redeem it. However, they acknowledge that some of the bills may be too damaged to recover. But that doesn't dampen their excitement about their unexpected windfall. They have already made plans for how to spend the money, including a new vehicle and upgrades to their equipment for producing content.
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