A scuba diver is hunting an elusive snapper – after finding hundreds of family photographs on a camera he picked up from the seabed.
Stunned Mark Milburn, 49, spotted the Samsung camera lying on rocks 30ft underwater off the coast of Falmouth, Cornwall.
He took it home to dry out and was stunned to find the memory card was still working – and downloaded more than 800 family snaps.
They include images of a family enjoying a holiday to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park in Florida.
But there were also photos – taken just two days before – of the same family on a boat trip on the nearby Helford River in Cornwall.
Mark, who runs Atlantic Scuba diving centre in Falmouth, believes they dropped the camera overboard and it was washed out to sea.
He said: ”I was on a routine dive when I spotted this small shiny box on the bed. I thought it was a camera case at first.
”But when I picked it up and it was an actual camera. Obviously I figured the sea water would have done irreparable damage.
”I got back home and dried it out and when the memory card popped out there were all these photos on there.
”The pictures seemed to show family holidays around the world. Some look like Universal Studios in America and there’s some local stuff as well.
”Some were taken from a boat, and I recognised the Helford River in the background. From the dates on the images they were taken just two days before.
”I guess they must have dropped the camera overboard and never thought for a minute they’d see it again.
”It would be nice to return the card and the camera to them so they can their memories back.”
The camera contains hundreds of pictures including Darth Vadar at a theme park, a steam train, dolphins and a school hall.
It was among 30kg (66lb) of waste collected by a group of local divers carrying out an underwater beach clean off Falmouth.
They also found plastic bags, tin cans, golf balls – and an iPhone.
Mark, of Falmouth, said the rubbish is potentially dangerous to marine life and
divers themselves.
He said: “It’s a big problem. We find tin cans, but the bodies of the cans rot away leaving sharp edges that can cut your feet
”Big fish will swallow them thinking they’re little fish because they’re shiny.”
