In a remarkable turn of events, a camera that went missing during a shipwreck off the coast of Vancouver Island is now on its way back to its owner, Vancouver artist Paul Burgoyne. The camera was lost in 2012 when Burgoyne’s boat, the Bootlegger, sank, but it was miraculously discovered two years later by university students during a research dive.

The camera, resting 12 meters below the surface, still had an operational memory card, making it possible to recover some cherished photos. Professor Isabelle M. Côté, an expert in Marine Ecology, played a crucial role in locating Burgoyne by posting a family portrait found among the photos online.

Fortune smiled upon the recovery effort when a member of the Bamfield coast guard station recognized Burgoyne in one of the photos. This heartwarming reunion between Burgoyne and his long-lost photos is a true testament to the resilience of technology and the unexpected twists of fate.

Among the recovered images were snapshots of a family gathering to scatter his parents’ ashes and a video showing the turbulent seas his boat faced before the wreck. This extraordinary recovery showcases the enduring power of memories, even from the depths of the ocean.