A diver discovered a Samsung phone in a Nova Scotia riverbed that had been lost underwater for approximately three years [1].
The recovery highlights the unexpected durability of certain consumer electronics and the role of specialized recovery divers in retrieving lost personal property.
Sean McMullen, known as Saltwater Sean, found the device while searching a warm spring-fed riverbed. McMullen said he was looking for phones, lost gear, and other items people had dropped underwater [2]. Upon retrieving the device, the diver found that the phone had not been penetrated by water despite the duration of its submersion.
"It was completely dry," McMullen said [2]. "I couldn't believe it."
Following the recovery, McMullen worked to track down the original owner of the device. The phone was eventually returned to the individual who had lost it years earlier [1]. The recovery also involved a discovery of $52 in the box [2].
McMullen's efforts in the riverbed are part of a broader practice of underwater recovery, where divers seek out discarded or lost valuables. The fact that the Samsung device remained functional and dry suggests the seal of the phone's casing remained intact throughout its time on the riverbed [1].
“"It was completely dry," McMullen said. "I couldn't believe it."”
This incident demonstrates the potential for high-grade industrial seals in modern smartphones to withstand long-term submersion, provided the structural integrity of the chassis is not compromised. It also underscores a niche trend in 'urban diving' and recovery where individuals utilize specialized equipment to retrieve lost assets from natural environments.
