N.Y. couple finds safe filled with over $130K while magnet fishing in lake

globalnews.ca:

Not all treasure is buried with an “X” to mark the spot. Sometimes it’s waterlogged at the bottom of a lake in Queens, New York.

While magnet fishing in Flushing Meadows Corona Park on Friday afternoon, couple James Kane and Barbie Agostini said they reeled in a safe containing wads of American $100 bills, estimated to be worth about US$100,000 (nearly C$136,300).

Magnet fishing has become an increasingly popular pastime in both urban and rural areas, much to do with trendy social media videos. Similar to true fishing, the hobby involves treasure hunters tossing a strong neodymium magnet into bodies of water in the hope of pulling recovered items to the surface.

Unfortunately for Kane and Agostini, the currency inside the safe was damaged by the lake water. It is not clear when the deposit box was tossed into the waterway.

In an interview with NY1, the couple said they’ve found plenty of safes before, but never one filled with cash.

Kane and Agostini contacted the New York Police Department about their find, who investigated the abandoned safe and determined there is no crime. Agostini said the safe was “obviously stolen” but there were no IDs on the box or any way to identify its original owner.

Kane calls magnet fishing “the poor man’s treasure hunting,” as it is much less costly than purchasing or renting a boat and true fishing gear.

While magnet fishing, Kane and Agostini said they have found plenty of treasure over the years, from rusty umbrellas and old cellphones to car doors and even abandoned knives and firearms. More than anything, and perhaps expectedly, the couple finds lots and lots of trash.

Last year, Kane and Agostini discovered an antique Second World War-era grenade while magnet fishing in Sheepshead