It's hard not to be a little jaded the Saturday after Thanksgiving, when all that gratitude has been expressed and the deep, deep regret about how much you ate has set in. Fortunately, while your immediate family has once again disappointed you with their politics and green bean casserole, your larger, human family can restore your faith in people's basic goodness with the magic of social networking. Enter Google+ and Markus Thompson, who was scuba diving in Deep Bay (outside of Vancouver) and discovered a Canon EOS 1000D camera. Thompson pulled the SD card to discover not only that he could recover the images, but that they revealed the camera had been sitting in the salty brine for over a year.
Thompson took to Google+, posting the story and a few identifying details he was able to dig up from the photos. Within a day, the hive mind was able to track down and contact the owner, a firefighter in British Columbia. We're not saying you should be thankful for Google+, but the actual people who use it sure seem like good folks.
Image Credit: Markus Thompson


There are 42 Comments. Add yours.
It’s a good story, which replicated similar stories from Facebook (and i’m sure other social networking sites), shows the qualities of human kindness rather than the networking solutions.
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 11:22 AM EST reply Recommend (21) Flag actions
I can smell Google PR here at The Verge ! !
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 11:23 AM EST reply Recommend (6) Flag actions
I was a misled just a bit here – I thought google had something to do with it, but they were as responsible for it as Ford would be responsible for a car crash.
Then again, as a Microsoft fanboi, everything is a conspiracy and every tech writer dislikes me and my ilk =P
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 11:38 AM EST reply Recommend (10) Flag actions
Aside from missing the “+” in the title, and only reading the title, I don’t see how you could think that Google performed this deed. Also, with regards to the bias/PR, that’s just paranoia.
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 11:56 AM EST reply Recommend (4) Flag actions
The =P leads me to believe he was being tongue-in-cheek sarcastic :)
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 1:58 PM EST reply Recommend (4) Flag actions
The 2nd part of my post was mainly in response to pradeep.
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 3:24 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Um, he thought Google had something to do with it because the headline says they did. “Google+ reunites…”
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 7:37 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Microsoft fanboi, I hope for your sake you find a cure.
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 7:56 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
How does someone drop a DSLR in the bottom of the ocean, how?
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 11:23 AM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions
Easy: just let go off it.. gravity does the rest.
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 11:35 AM EST reply Recommend (38) Flag actions
Wow… just wow…
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 2:06 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
lol… I feel your pain. Maybe “into” was the author’s intention.
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 2:58 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
The funny thing is, the camera has a strap on it. Oops.
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 3:50 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
..and not jump after it?
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 11:45 AM EST reply Recommend (5) Flag actions
Honestly, sometimes the most careful people are no match for freak accidents. Until we get a full story, I can’t stand here and accuse them of being careless. Crap just happens sometimes that you can’t foresee and plan for.
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 10:06 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
That camera is ruined.
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 11:27 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Nah, i think it’ll be ok.
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 11:38 AM EST reply Recommend (27) Flag actions
But it sure is beautifully ruined! :D
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 11:39 AM EST reply Recommend (3) Flag actions
Oh, it’s Sherlock Holmes.
Posted on Nov 27, 2011 | 4:26 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
So, what brand was the SD card?
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 11:59 AM EST reply Recommend (19) Flag actions
SanDisk Extreme III
Posted on Nov 27, 2011 | 3:54 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Well… he can still sell it on Ebay as “slightly used”
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 12:13 PM EST reply Recommend (16) Flag actions
yea…he can say its in ‘mint’ condition ;)
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 2:04 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
This looks like a good tip for people who are into Steampunk.
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 12:38 PM EST reply Recommend (3) Flag actions
Step 1: Drop camera into ocean
Step 2: Wait 1 year
Step 3: ???
Step 4: Profit
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 6:27 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions
kinda similar to a story I have. I went to an ATM downtown and somehow managed to drop or lose my card. I came home and someone searched my name up on facebook who worked at the coffee shop right by it and I was able to get my card back without having to deal with the hassle of cancelling my old one and getting a new one, not to mention if someone who got there hands on it decided to use it…
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 12:56 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions
aah. and you know, the one doing the actual good feels so satisfied that the one on receiving end cannot comprehend.
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 3:02 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Agreed… helping someone out or doing a good deed is amazingly uplifiting.
I do an “Angel Tree” (pick a child that is less fortunate around Christmas, buy gifts) every year and it’s so great to make sure a child has what they wanted that year. I don’t even get to see them open them or their face, but just knowing that they have something is a mighty good feeling.
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 3:13 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions
If anyone ever finds a Canon SD1000 off the coast of Kauai, I’d like my honeymoon photos back.
Dropped it off the side of a cruise ship on the last day of the trip too. Back in 2007. I’m not holding my breath, no.
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 1:34 PM EST reply Recommend (3) Flag actions
Before or after we post the “deleted” photos?? ;^)
Posted on Nov 27, 2011 | 11:05 AM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions
Go ahead ;-). The one thing I want back is the video of us zip lining. It was so cool. :-)
Posted on Dec 01, 2011 | 3:04 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
This brings a tear to my eye.
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 2:45 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
The key info here was SD card survived the ordeal.. Pls what brand was it?
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 2:58 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Was it the quality of the SD car components or the housing of the camera memory slot around it. Either way pretty amazing.
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 3:24 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
From the guy’s Google+ page:
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 3:26 PM EST reply Recommend (11) Flag actions
Google+ almost reunites DSLR images with owner — after a year in the Pacific ocean
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 4:21 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
Google + – Leading the reunification efforts for a person and pcitures…
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 5:55 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Maybe he should try a social network that people more actually USE.
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 4:51 PM EST reply Recommend (3) Flag actions
A little 3 in one oil will fix it right up :-)
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 8:33 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
The most important detail.. Markus says it was a ..“SanDisk Extreme III 20mb/s card”..
Talk about extreme.. :)
Posted on Nov 26, 2011 | 10:45 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
I would love if the same happened to me with the SD-Card i lost in the flight from Spain to Germany.. one week of my holidays, only left in my brain. :(
Posted on Nov 27, 2011 | 3:08 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Great story. If only someone could find my old Canon Powershot A75 at the bottom of a lake in Thailand, and the CF card still had all the pictures. Dropped because of a big lizard that scared the @#$% out of me.
Posted on Nov 28, 2011 | 2:53 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
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