A metal detectorist was left heartbroken after making a discovery at the beach – and felt he had no choice but to bury them again after reading the accompanying note
The beach is often a treasure trove for metal detecting enthusiasts, offering a variety of treasures as well as red herrings.
From gold rings to aluminium ring pulls, metal detectorists have uncovered it all at the seaside. But one history buff had to rebury an item after making a heartbreaking discovery in the sand this week.
Taking to Reddit to detail his find, he penned: “Sad but interesting find.” His accompanying photo revealed a jar containing a note that disclosed the other contents as the ashes of a young man who died in 2011 at the age of 22. The note, penned by his bereaved mother, asked that if found, the jar should be “respectfully” returned to its place.
And after duly obliging, he explained: “I found this buried 6 inches down on the Oregon coast. When I saw the piece of paper I thought it might have been geocache related. Based on the amount of ashes I’m guessing there’s a few more of these out there in more of his favourite places. Yes, I did put it back.”
Answering a query about the item, meanwhile, he added: “The lid was painted metal with a plastic liner on the threads so it was easy to open with no corrosion. I’m guessing the mother didn’t think about us when she chose that container but then again she did leave a note. Based on the location I’d be surprised if I wasn’t the first person to dig this up.”
The post in the MetalDetecting subreddit was soon abuzz with emotion at the poignant discovery, prompting an outpouring of sympathy from fellow Redditors. One user speculated, “She [the mother] probably kept it in the jar so she could come back and visit.”
Another was moved to comment: “This is both sad and beautiful at the same time,” while pondering the legality and personal impact of such a find. “Doing something like this isn’t legal where I’m from and I’m trying to imagine what it would feel like to come across this in person. I’m not saying that I think anything about this is wrong. It’s heavy but also beautiful. I hope that the parent has been able to find peace and happiness.”
A third chimed in with a suggestion for preserving the site: “I’d probably put a heavy rock over the top and bury it much further down. It’s heartbreaking.” Meanwhile, a fourth offered advice to the original poster: “If I were the O.P. I would take them with me and get a new container and bring them back in a new container with no metal lid to help avoid future metal detectors from finding this, a couple hours of disturbance to find a eternity of peace.”
In a heartwarming twist, one Reddit user highlighted a silver lining, revealing that the deceased’s online obituary had received a surge of attention since the discovery. “Reddit can be so awesome sometimes,” they remarked, sharing a link. “This young man’s obituary sat for 13 years without a comment and it’s currently being blown up with love and prayers from this community.”
Another person concurred: “It is awesome that people from Reddit are leaving very kind messages on Steven’s memorial page.”
Whilst a third individual penned: “I know this can be viewed as sad, and I truly hope this detector put the ashes back respectfully, but I am finding hope here. I think this is one of the very FEW cool things about social media, because we all, who have seen this post, now know that this son was truly loved by his mother and any future detectorists who come across this site will know it too.”
