Lost Camera - Any Arubans Here?

Yea, I'm certain. I've spoken with the owners through other means and they confirmed ownership by stating what their activity was underwater. I purposely held back a piece of info so I could confirm ownership.

 

I can mention it now. The camera owner was sawing on an anchor chain underway. The anchor was from a ship sunk during WWII. They were recovering the anchor. That anchor has now been made in to a WWII memorial in Aruba. Here is a link to that info. The owner is one of the photographers:

 

http://www.lago-colony.com/ANCHORS_FROM_ORANJESTAD_HARBOR/SECOND_ANCHOR/DEDACATION/move_to_savaneta.htm

Just when it seemed like the story was over it just keeps getting better.

I want to sincerely thank Cruise Critic for writing a story about this. This is from their News link:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=3906

Paul great job.

Quick someone call the Today show,or GMA.

Does your wife know what a great guy she's married to?:) What a great ending to an amazing story.

Does your wife know what a great guy she's married to?:) What a great ending to an amazing story.

Aww, thanks, Patti. You're sweet. :)

What a wonderful story. If only everyone was as thoughful as you are.

I used to work for a scuba shop, I'm going to pass this along to them, and their camera guy. I love this.

and sea turtles are my favorite, the video made my day.:D

What an AMAZING, AMAZING story....

Thanks for sharing...You are such a great person to go out of your way to find the owners. Kudos to you!!

Paul great job.

 

Quick someone call the Today show,or GMA.

Actually that's the kind of thing that those shows love....maybe USAToday will pick it up.

Paul great job.

 

Quick someone call the Today show,or GMA.

I actually sent this in to Brian w/ NBC Nightly News last night after reading the thread. Who knows what will happen! :) (Gave all the credit to Aqua of course!!)

Yea, I'm certain. I've spoken with the owners through other means and they confirmed ownership by stating what their activity was underwater. I purposely held back a piece of info so I could confirm ownership.

 

I can mention it now. The camera owner was sawing on an anchor chain underway. The anchor was from a ship sunk during WWII. They were recovering the anchor. That anchor has now been made in to a WWII memorial in Aruba. Here is a link to that info. The owner is one of the photographers:

 

http://www.lago-colony.com/ANCHORS_FROM_ORANJESTAD_HARBOR/SECOND_ANCHOR/DEDACATION/move_to_savaneta.htm

The story continues to amaze me:)...wonder what day I need to set my tivo for Brian Williams:p

I want to sincerely thank Cruise Critic for writing a story about this. This is from their News link:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=3906

That is a GREAT article written by CC!

The camera owner was sawing on an anchor chain underway. The anchor was from a ship sunk during WWII. They were recovering the anchor. That anchor has now been made in to a WWII memorial in Aruba. Here is a link to that info. The owner is one of the photographers:

 

http://www.lago-colony.com/ANCHORS_FROM_ORANJESTAD_HARBOR/SECOND_ANCHOR/DEDACATION/move_to_savaneta.htm

This story just keeps getting better and better. I really hope a major news source picks this up. We could use some of this sort of stuff in today's news.

You don't believe this Aruban divestory, but it's really happened to us!

On november 11th 2009 my divebuddy Toine van der Klooster and I were diving on a big US Navy WWII anchor at Eagle Beach Aruba, what is now a WWII monument on the Marine Barracks in Savaneta.

During the dive when we're sawing the chain of the big anchor I unfortunately lost my underwatercamera.

Because it had a possitive buoyancy it floated away.

Toine joked to me that the camera will be found somewhere in Costa Rica or Panama.

But....yesterday somebody told us at the school of our son Delano, that the camera was found in Florida, Key West !!!!

The finder of the camera put the latest film of the camera on

you tube.com, but............

this film wasn't made by me?

What happened.......................................

In january this year a seaturtle activated the camera somewhere in the Caribbean sea and made a reality movie of himself!!

Hilarious!!

After the filmshooting the camera floated further to Florida Key West and washed ashore last month at the half of may.

As you all know the finder immediately started an search operation on Scubaboard.com, cruisecritics.com and aruba.com to find us.

What a story!!!

Aquahound, a.k.a. Paul Shultz found us with the help of all interested readers of several websites.

Paul, we want to thank you that you find our Ikelite underwatercamera!!

Also for sending it back to Aruba so we've now the missing photos and film pieces from the Eagle Beach Anchor WWII memorial project.

If your interested to read about this diveproject here's the link

http://www.lago-colony.com/ANCHORS_FROM_ORANJESTAD_HARBOR/SECOND_ANCHOR/DEDACATION/move_to_savaneta.htm

Regards,

Dick de Bruin

Sergeant in the Royal Dutch Navy

Marine Barracks Savaneta in Aruba

dickdebruin22@hotmail.com

Mr. de Bruin - You just made this story a whole lot better. You have been a Cruise Critic member all this time. I didn't know that. They may have to do an amendment to the story now.

Hey, it's good to see you here. Finding you was a real challenge based on the photos, but it was also a lot of fun. You're going to enjoy getting your property back. You have some great pictures and videos on that memory card, not to mention the 20 minute unedited turtle video!

BTW, I am former 1st Class Petty Officer in the U.S. Coast Guard, now civilian investigator. Coincidently, we both have nautical backgrounds.

GREAT investigative work, Paul! Congratulations on a job well done! :)

Oh boy more great reading to this story.... I continue to smile when I read this:)

so when will you two meet? any plans on a cruise to Aruba Paul:)

Wow... amazing story with an amazing ending :D

so when will you two meet? any plans on a cruise to Aruba Paul:)

Emmy, I thought about it. I actually considered getting on an airplane and flying down there. Unfortunately, work is pretty busy for the next month or so.

Glad I finally clicked onto this thread to read what was going on here. Great story, Paul.

What a cool story!! I just love the turtle video, that's one confused and determined turtle!

And the story just got better and better, with the anchor and the memorial. I'm so glad that the pictures got found and could be added to the background of the story of this anchor and how it was restored and is now a memorial.

Good work by all involved, especially you Paul. I'm glad this ended so well!

I too "lost" a camera on vacation. I left it in a lounge on a ship, second to the last day. Went back 20 minutes later and gone! No one turned it in. All my vacation photos gone. I was bummed. Cheap camera to replace, but I'm still upset I don't have any vacation photos of that cruise.

Glad I finally clicked onto this thread to read what was going on here. Great story, Paul.

I almost did not click on this thread also, so glad that I did. What a great story.

I don't quite know how this great thread continues to get even better day after day but, somehow, it does!:):):)

Again, thank you Paul - great story and I love happy endings!

Amazing story! This world needs a lot more peope in it like you Aquahound!

I think this is one of the best things I have ever read on ANY forum.

Kudos to you sir!

Good work Paul.

Hi Paul :)....I really applaud you and your endeavours to find the owner.

I took on a 8 month search for the owner....I should say 'descednants', of a diary which came into my hands in the U.K when I was visiting there.

It had been found in an old mansion which was being demolished in London. The person who found it couldn't read the old English writing, in remarkable condition. I brought it home to Australia and set about reading (and deciphering) it. It had been written in 2 parts, 1855 and 1885 and it took me a few weeks to decipher as much as I could.

It was towards the end of the second part when I realised the writer was a lady...and I had this overwhelming need to find her descendants and return this very interesting diary to them. The diary was about two 'tours' to France and Italy. There were some words I wasn't able to decipher.

All I had to go on was the name E.J Palmer, Wanlip (first part) and then 'Newlands'....not knowing where either place was.

Very very long story short....after many months and doing lots of research I FOUND THEM....her descendants :)

He is Sir John Edward Somerset Palmer and is the great great grandson of the writer....Elizabeth Julia Palmer.

I am now the proud owner of a beautiful oval portrait of her which Sir John sent me...her grandfather on her mother's side was the Maharaja of Purnea and Elizabeth is wearing a beautiful pale pink crinoline with black hair done in ringlets at the side of her face.

I was so very pleased to be able to put a face to this lady who I found I had come to know, in her own words :)

So good on you Paul for perservering :D ...it's a great feeling!