Coral Amayi was heartbroken when she lost her beloved digital camera 13 years ago. She had bought an Olympus Stylus 790 SW in 2007 and used it to take photos of her travels around 12 different countries while studying abroad in Europe. But while tubing down the Animas River in July 2010, Amayi lost her camera. She was devastated, not only because her prized possession was gone, but also because she had lost photos of her dog’s puppies.
But last week, Amayi received Facebook notifications about a lost camera. She was stunned to find out that an angler, Spencer Greiner, had found her camera in the river and posted photos of the camera and its images in a Facebook group in hopes of finding the owner.
Greiner’s efforts paid off when a member of the Facebook group tagged Amayi. “My friend, who was tubing with me when I lost the camera, saw me in the bottom picture and remembered the day I lost my camera, so he tagged me,” Amayi explained. “I danced in the conference center bathroom. I was blown away.”
Amayi is now waiting for Greiner to ship back the camera. “I am really thankful Spencer took the time to find us,” she said. “People who take the time to help locate the owners of a lost item make the world a better place.”
While the world of photography has changed since Amayi lost her camera, she is still taking pictures, albeit with her phone. However, what remains unchanged are the friends featured in the long-lost photos, and their friendships “are still going strong.” “The bride and three of the bridesmaids and I were all in each other’s weddings,” she continued. “We all talk at least weekly on Marco Polo, a video messaging app.”
This heartwarming story shows the power of social media to reconnect people with their treasured belongings and memories. It is a reminder that even after many years, it is possible to find lost items and reunite them with their owners. Perhaps this story will inspire others to take the time and effort to help locate lost belongings and make the world a better place, one lost item at a time.
