7-Year-Old Who Spots A Shiny Treasure At The Bottom Of A Pool Uncovers Its History
In 2020, a 7-year-old boy named Theo made the find of the decade at an Idaho hot spring resort, living out every treasure hunter's dream. The precious item he spotted was thought to have been lost forever, though something about its curious appearance made the resort owners try a different tactic to trace back its history.
A Normal Vacation
Young Theo was on vacation with his mom over at Trinity Hot Springs in Featherville, Idaho. The boy was very adventurous and was excited to explore the waters. Since he was very small, he was a pro at finding hidden treasures.
History of Treasure
In Pre-K, his teachers would bury little treasures in the playground's sandbox for the children to find. Theo would find most, if not all of them, so to ensure there'd be enough for the other kids, he was not allowed in the sandbox. But at the Featherville resort, he would have no limitations whatsoever.
Among the Rocks
Flash-forward to Theo at the hot springs. As he swam and explored, he noticed something shiny among the rocks of the pool's floor. He reached down and fished it out of the waters, recognizing what it was right away.
Find of the Decade
The treasure was a wedding ring, and a very beautiful one at that. Although Theo took great pride in his treasure hunting skills, he knew what the right thing to do was. With his mom proudly supporting him, Theo gave the ring to the resort staff, who had a lead on who the owner was.
Through the Records
Trinity Hot Springs keeps a log of "Lost Not Yet Found" records. There was only one woman on the list who happened to leave a report that she'd lost her ring. They gave her a call right away.
Not A Match
Unfortunately that woman was not the owner. She had found her ring later the same day she filed the report, but the the report wasn't updated to reflect that. With no other leads, the resort owners decided to take to social media.
Social Media
They posted on Facebook about the missing ring, but left no description of it. This was to keep the ring safe from strangers hoping to pawn it off and make fast, easy money. They had to be alert for messages from scammers looking to make a buck.
Facebook Post
Sherrie McClure Lowery had spotted Trinity Hot Springs' post and connected with them through the comments section. She had an old photograph of her missing ring that was a little blurry. In Sherrie's words, it was "a long shot for sure."
Back in the Day
Sherrie had stayed over at Trinity Hot Springs back in the late '70s. When she realized she had lost her wedding ring, the staff immediately took action, scavenging the pool for her ring. They could not find it.
Lost Opportunity
Over the decades, the hot springs resort would clean out the pool and search for many other lost items. Some were found, while some weren't, including Sherrie's ring. It just seemed gone.
Lying in Wait
For more than 40 years Sherrie thought she would never see the symbol of her and her spouse's love. There would always be the question of what happened to her precious keepsake, until little Theo made the incredible discovery.
Finally A Match
After commenting on Trinity Hot Springs' post and sharing her photograph, the resort was ecstatic to see the ring in the photograph was the very same ring that was found. All that was left was to reunite them in person.
Celebration
Dozens of family and friends took to the comments section, overjoyed with the unexpected find. Sherrie and her family made plans to visit the resort and reclaim her prized possession. They had help from the Trinity Hot Springs staff, who planned to book them on a very fitting holiday.
Day of Love
The Facebook post was shared on February 10th, 2020, right in the nick of time for the holiday of love, Valentine's Day. Since the holiday was just a few days away, Sherrie and her friends believed there would be no availability, but the springs resort would not let them lose this wonderful opportunity.
A Package Deal
Trinity Hot Springs commented back, letting them know there was some availability and even offering a package deal for the whole group. With that, celebration ensued, and another familiar name jumped into the comments section.
Proud Mom
Rebecca Bloom, Theo's mother, also commented under the post. She shared how proud she was of her 7-year-old-boy, who chose to do the right thing and give Sherrie closure. She said Theo will be thrilled that they were able to find the owner. Trinity Hot Springs replied to Rebecca.
A Hero's Reward
As reward for finding and turning in Sherrie's wedding ring, Trinity Hot Springs gave a 1 Year Annual Membership for Theo and an adult — most likely his mom Rebecca — with a 5 Punch Pass. The owner of the resort was delighted to hear all the good news.
A Message From the Owner
The owner of Trinity Hot Springs, Dana Stream, was impressed by how everything seemed to perfectly fall into place. She considered this "a remarkable way to be reminded of love." Speaking of love, the little treasure hunter himself had some special words to share with Sherrie.
A Caring Message
In an interview, Theo said he hopes to continue his treasure hunting, hopefully finding two rings next time. The pure-hearted boy ended the interview with a message to Sherrie: "Happy Valentine's Day."
A Happy Ending
Thanks to the very curious Theo, Sherrie finally reunited with her ring, and she and her family looked forward to a wonderful vacation. Though, this is far from the first decades-long mystery solved by a curious child poking around underwater.
An Unsuspecting Teenager
When Max Werenka woke up one summer morning in August 2019, he had no idea his world was about to be turned upside down with a simple venture out into the water with a GoPro camera. He was a curious kid, saying, "I always like to question things."
A Quiet Town
The 13-year-old and his family lived in Revelstoke, British Columbia, a quaint town that came to life every time the warm weather rolled around. One particular spot was a crowd favorite.
Underwater Secrets
Griffin Lake was one of the most happening spots in town. It was a gorgeous area with a sprawling beach for people to lounge out and soak up the summer. The Werenka family even ran a business nearby
Very Familiar
They rented out cabins to people who wanted to spend a little outdoor time around Griffin Lake and the surrounding nature. Max often spent his time around the water, as well, driving his boat and fishing for local catch.
Cruising Around
One sunny summer morning, Max prepped all his fishing equipment in his boat just off shore and prepared to enjoy the next few hours, Griffin Lake style. While cruising around the water, he came a across a startling sight.
Something Down There
There was a massive object lying on the lake bottom he never saw during any of his trips before. As he got closer, he realized it was something that should not have been there! He sped his boat directly home.
Mom Steps In
He'd seen a car, and he told his mother about it, but she wasn't as concerned. She knew back in 2009 there was a car that crashed into the lake, but the situation was taken care of by police. Still, she wasn't sure.
Police Involvement
So she mentioned it to a local Royal Canadian Mounted police officer the next day just in case, and he gave her some startling news. The car from the 2009 crash was dredged out of the lake! This, of course, had big implications.
Seeking Answers
It meant the vehicle Max found was from a different accident! Police swarmed the lake, hoping to find out more about the car. Max joined the officers out at the location, but the sun's glare made it impossible to see it!
Capturing the Scene
Max, however, refused to let officers turn around and return at a later time. He had with him a GoPro camera, so he dove into the water and began his descent to the bottom.
Criminal Evidence
At first, Max was afraid he took them to the wrong location, as he couldn't see the vehicle anywhere. But, as he got a little deeper it all came into view. Was this the missing piece to a recent crime?
Divers Ready
Max showed the police the footage from his GoPro, and just a few hours later, they had scuba divers ready to investigate. A tow truck was parked at the edge of the water and ropes were attached to the car.
Dredging Up
Slowly, the tow truck pulled the car from the bottom of the muddy lake and onto the grassy bank. Everyone was shocked the vehicle was never found by anyone up until that point.
Badly Damaged
After a few careful hours, the officers finally pulled the car onto shore. The metal was eroded, the front was damaged, and in the driver's seat sat the deceased owner of the car. Max couldn't believe it.
The Body
After a thorough examination of the body, it was determined to be a woman named Janet Farris from Mill Bay, British Columbia. Incredibly, she went missing 27 years earlier on her way to a wedding.
Missing for Years
Police believed, in 1992, her car jumped a guardrail into Griffin Lake while she was on her way to Alberta. Her family had no idea what happened for nearly three decades.
A Sharp Eye
Corporal Thomas Blakney of the Revelstoke Royal Canadian Mounted Police was thrilled with Max's discovery. "That's good detective work on his part," the officer said.
Doing His Duty
Although finding a deceased body is never a teenager's idea of a great day on the lake, Max was happy the Farris family found closure. They thanked him for his keen senses and spoke out about Janet's decades-long disappearance.
Janet's Family
Her granddaughter, Erin, was only 12 at the time of the accident, but the girl always suspected the worst. "I didn’t want to admit that I was sad in front of my parents because that would maybe be admitting I had lost hope," Erin said. Max did them a great service, and he wasn't the only kid to stumble upon evidence of a cold case.
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