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upworthy

good samaritan

It's incredible what a double-sided magnet can do.


A new trend in treasure hunting called magnet fishing has blown up over the past two years, evidenced by an explosion of YouTube channels covering the hobby. Magnet fishing is a pretty simple activity. Hobbyists attach high-powered magnets to strong ropes, drop them into waterways and see what they attract.

The hobby has caught the attention of law enforcement and government agencies because urban waterways are a popular place for criminals to drop weapons and stolen items after committing a crime. In 2019, a magnet fisherman in Michigan pulled up an antique World War I mortar grenade and the bomb squad had to be called out to investigate.




Fifteen-year-old George Tindale and his dad, Kevin, 52, of Grantham, Lincolnshire in the U.K., made an incredible find earlier this month when they used two magnets to pull up a safe that had been submerged in the River Witham.

George has a popular magnet fishing YouTube channel called “Magnetic G.”

After the father-and-son duo pulled the safe out of the murky depths, they cracked it open with a crowbar and found about $2,500 Australian dollars (US$1,800), a shotgun certificate and credit cards that expired in 2004. The Tindales used the name found on the cards to find the safe’s owner, Rob Everett.

Everett’s safe was stolen during an office robbery in 2000 and then dumped into the river. “I remember at the time, they smashed into a cabinet to get to the safe,” Everett said, according to The Daily Mail. “I was just upset that there was a nice pen on my desk, a Montblanc that was never recovered.”

The robber, who was a teenage boy, was apprehended soon after the crime because he left behind a cap with his name stitched inside.

The father and son met up with Everett to return his stolen money and the businessman gave George a small reward for his honesty. He also offered him an internship because of the math skills he displayed in the YouTube video when he counted the Australian dollars. “What’s good about it is, I run a wealth management company and… I’d love him to work for us," Everett said.

Although the safe saga began with a robbery 22 years ago, its conclusion has left Everett with more faith in humanity.

“I was just amazed that they’d been able to track me down,” he said. “There are some really nice and good people in this world. They could have kept the money, they could have said they attempted to get hold of me.”

“There’s a big lesson there. It teaches George that doing good and being honest and giving back is actually more rewarding than taking,” Everett added.

Treasure hunting isn’t the only allure of the hobby for George. His mother says the hobby has taught him a lot about water pollution and its effects on local wildlife. “George is very environmentally conscious. He always has been since primary school,” she said. “When he first started to do this, he was after treasure. Everything ends up in the rivers and canals.”


This article originally appeared on 04.25.22

Image created from Pixabay.

Nobody enjoys having an overdue library book.

Employees at Idaho's Meridian Library were going through the mail after the Thanksgiving holiday 2017 when they got a sweet surprise.

Inside one of the packages was a book — Thomas Rockwell's "How to Eat Fried Worms" — that had been missing from the stacks.


Getting books in the mail is no major shock at Meridian. The library finds that visitors passing through or patrons going on vacation will often mail back items to avoid fines.

Along with this particular book, however, there was a curious handwritten note.

"I found this book on an airplane last month," the message began.

"I called your library to notify them. I failed to return on time (and) apologize. Please add this $5.00 to the person's account that borrowed the book as a credit. Thank you."

Sure enough, along with the note was a $5 bill.

Found in the mail with a $5 bill this morning. There are some amazing people in our community. #mymld
Posted by Meridian Library District on Monday, November 27, 2017


The good Samaritan had been hoping to get the book back to the library before the due date but couldn't and decided to assume responsibility for the late fee.


Obviously, they were under no obligation to pay the fine, and their small, understated generosity floored the library staff.


Knowing you have a book overdue at the library and not being able to find it is one of those little stresses that can add up big time.


It's like having a sink full of dirty dishes or being behind on laundry. It's not a source of massive worry, but many unresolved things added together can make you feel anxious and overwhelmed — too much of which is certainly bad for your health.

So while a stranger returning a book and paying $5 in fines may seem inconsequential, the act is inspiring thousands of people who have read about the story online.

"Everyone is loving this heartwarming story," says Macey Snelson, who heads communications and marketing for the library. "I think that this is resonating with people so much because we live in a world where the news cycles are filled with contention and negative stories, and it's refreshing to see a story that shows that people are inherently good."

This story proves that even a teeny, tiny act of kindness, in a small part of the country, can have a big impact.

​For Brandon Potter and his wife, Debbie, a recent day at the beach nearly turned into a nightmare.

While enjoying the sunshine at Tobay Beach in Long Island, New York, Debbie Potter took her wedding ring off to put sunscreen on their two kids. But later, as the family was leaving for the day, they realized she never put the ring back on. And no one knew where it was.

All photos by Brandon Potter, used with permission.


Brandon sprinted back to their spot in the sand, some 50 yards from the crashing waves, and searched frantically. But a storm was rolling in and some nearby police officers, after helping with the search for a few minutes, told them unfortunately they'd have to leave. The beach was being evacuated.

"We both were heartbroken," Brandon said. "The ring was sentimental to us. It was made for my wife. It was a one of a kind ring."

Determined not to give up, Brandon put out a call on Facebook, hoping someone — anyone — would help.

"I go home and I make this post on Facebook on all of these pages I belong to, just hoping that someone would have the heart to give [the ring] back to us if they found it," he said.

But, miraculously, he got something even better.

A complete stranger named Mike Jandris replied, matter-of-factly, that he would be at the beach in 35 minutes. With his metal detector.

Relieved, Brandon hopped in the car, stopped by an ATM (he had promised a reward to anyone who found the ring), and met Jandris at the beach.

"I was on edge," Brandon said. "I was about 50/50 if he would find it."

Within five minutes, the two men found the missing wedding ring.

"I jumped up and gave him a hug. It meant so much to me that this guy was willing to do this," Brandon said.

Brandon tried to give the kind stranger some money, but Jandris wasn't interested. All he wanted were a few pictures to remember the experience.

"This is what Mike does for fun," Brandon said. "He goes and looks for things all the time for people."

Brandon says that in circles of folks who scour the beach for lost items, finding high-value jewelry like custom-made wedding rings is considered a badge of honor. Some say finders keepers, but good guys like Jandris just enjoy helping folks out.

"Now Mike has a good story to tell," Brandon said.

Brandon says that he now considers Jandris a true friend. For life.

Brandon put up another Facebook post later thanking Mr. Jandris for his incredible generosity. The message quickly went viral.

And amid the swirl of support, comments, shares, and media coverage, Brandon says he and Jandris have kept in touch and even met up a few times.

They're both excited to see so many people responding to their story.

"With everything bad going on, people need to see stories like this," Brandon said.

He's absolutely right.