A metal detectorist on an Oregon beach thought they had found a unique treasure, only to discover it was someone's cremated remains. The metal detectorist shared the "sad but interesting find" in a Reddit post, which has moved many readers to tears.
According to the heartfelt post, the beachcomber's scanner detected something buried in the sand. Curious, they dug down and uncovered a jar containing a note and a baggie, as shown in the accompanying photos.
"I found this buried 6 inches down," they recalled.
Initially, the detectorist thought the note might be related to geocaching, a popular activity where participants use GPS to find hidden containers. However, the note revealed otherwise: it detailed that the contents were the ashes of a young man who had died over a decade ago.
The mother's note read: "This is the ashes of my son Steven Genberg. If found, please be respectful & put them back. Thank you. A grieving mother."
Respecting the mother's wishes, the detectorist returned the remains to their resting place. In the post, the Redditor explained that they believed other makeshift urns had been placed at the man's favourite locations to honour his memory.
The discovery deeply moved the Reddit community. One commenter wrote, "This is profoundly sad," while another said, "Losing a child is literally the worst experience in human existence."
Some users even shared articles identifying the son as Steven Genberg, 20, who reportedly died in a collision with a police cruiser in British Columbia. At the time, he was expecting a child with his girlfriend.
Others speculated on how the remains had not been swept out to sea.
"Serious question, how'd they last so long on the beach?" inquired one Redditor. "Or did they recently put it there hoping it would get washed out to sea?"
The original poster responded: "The lid was painted metal with a plastic liner on the threads so it was easy to open with no corrosion. I'm guessing the mother didn't think about us when she chose that container but then again she did leave a note."
"Based on the location I'd be surprised if I wasn't the first person to dig this up," they added.
