This camera filmed its own disappearance, crossed 350 miles and reunited with its owner
Dec 20, 2017
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In November 2017, an SJCAM HD 1080P action camera washed up on the shores of Süderoog, a tiny island off the coast of Germany. A man picked it up and after a long online search, the camera was reunited with the owner.
What makes this story especially interesting is that the camera filmed its own disappearance. It was wrapped in a waterproof housing, which meant that the memory card was still intact when the camera was stranded on the shore at Süderoog. The photos and videos show that it belonged to a young boy who lost it while he was exploring a beach. And apparently, his camera crossed 350 miles to find its way to Germany.
Roland Spreer, a retired seaman, found the camera during a routine beach clean-up while he was covering for his son Holger Spreer. Holger and his partner Nele Wree are the island’s only regular inhabitants. When Roland showed them the camera, they uploaded the contents to a computer and discovered a few short videos that told them more about the owner. They uploaded the last video to Süderoog’s Facebook page.
In this video, the young boy who apparently owns the camera is playing on the beach with his sister. He puts the camera on a rock and continues exploring. Then a wave drags the camera into the sea and its long journey begins.
In addition to sharing the video, the couple also explained that the boy in the video is English, around 10-12 years old. From the footage, it would seem that the boy used the camera to film himself and his family. Holger and Nele asked everyone to share the info, hoping that someone would recognize the boy or the coastline from the video.
After a while, a man commented that the camera started its journey in Thornwick Bay. He added a screenshot from the video and a photo from Google Maps, which show that this was indeed the starting point of the camera. He added that this meant the camera would have journeyed at least 560km (around 350 miles).
A few days later, another man left a comment saying that it was his son’s camera. As he explains, the boy was “playing with his sister on a day out with his Nanna at Thornwick Bay.” Judging from the comments the camera has now been reunited with the boy.
This is one of those stories that demonstrate the power of the social media, but it also shows the power of people united for the same cause. It’s pretty amazing that the camera survived a journey as long as it did, kept working, and found its way back to the owner. It’s like some kind of a modern message in a bottle.
[via Atlas Obscura, image credits: Holger Spreer and Nele Wree]
Dunja Đuđić Kalinin
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, concerts, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
































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