In an unusual turn of events, a New York couple, James Kane and Barbie Agostini, unearthed a fortune from the murky depths of a city pond.
The couple was engaged in magnet fishing, a hobby that involves casting a powerful magnet into a body of water, at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens when they stumbled upon an unexpected treasure.
Their magnet latched onto a submerged safe, which, to their astonishment, contained bundles of $100 bills. The waterlogged but intact currency amounted to a windfall of $100,000 for the couple. "We pulled out and it was two stacks of freaking hundreds," Kane shared with NY1.
Kane revealed that they had discovered other safes during their magnet fishing expeditions, but these were usually empty or held plastic bags and the deteriorated remnants of money. Upon realizing the safe was brimming with cash, the couple promptly informed the NYPD. Following a thorough investigation, the police confirmed the safe was not linked to any criminal activities, thereby allowing the couple to retain their newfound wealth.
"I couldn't believe it," Agostini expressed. "I lost it."
Kane disclosed to NY1 that they took up magnet fishing during the Covid-19 pandemic. He explained that the hobby enabled them to embark on treasure hunts without the need for costly equipment such as sonar or dredging gear. "We call it the poor man's treasure hunting," he told the station.
Their previous magnet fishing adventures have yielded an array of intriguing finds, including guns, World War II era grenades, a fully intact motorcycle, foreign coins, and jewelry. The couple chronicles their magnet fishing exploits on their YouTube Channel, "Let's Get Magnetic."
The hobby of magnet fishing experienced a surge in popularity during the pandemic, with many continuing the activity even after lockdown restrictions were lifted. This has led to a variety of unusual and unexpected discoveries.
For instance, a magnet fisher in New Orleans found a human skull padlocked to an exercise dumbbell last month, as reported by CBS News. In March, unexploded bombs were retrieved from the Charles River in Massachusetts by magnet fishermen in two separate incidents, according to CBS Boston.
Login