- 4 days ago
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00The Lake District, England's largest national park.
00:09Absolute perfection. I don't actually think it gets better than this.
00:13Every year, over 18 million people flock to its spectacular landscape.
00:20But if any of them lose something precious here, finding it can be tough.
00:26I was absolutely distraught.
00:28Gave me a heart attack.
00:30It was a devastating day, wasn't it?
00:32It's gone.
00:33I thought, no.
00:34I hope there's a chance.
00:36So I brought together local detectorists and underwater explorers.
00:41It's like Avengers Assemble, isn't it?
00:43To scour a lake and fell for treasured lost possessions.
00:47No way!
00:50Sometimes our searches bring up surprises.
00:53It looks like it's been in a while.
00:56Other times...
00:57I've got a hair curler.
00:58What we pull up is just rubbish.
01:01That's not the same bike.
01:03Ready to be transformed into new treasures.
01:06Oh, that's beautiful.
01:08By some of the finest crafters from the region.
01:11Run away!
01:12But best of all...
01:13This is our guy.
01:14Does it get better than this?
01:16Is when we can reunite our finds...
01:19With the people who thought they were lost forever.
01:25This is really special.
01:28Good.
01:29Now get back to the lake and find more stuff.
01:31On today's episode...
01:43After a heartbreaking fire 17 years ago, we search for a treasured possession never forgotten.
01:50I was devastated.
01:51It just went into the lake.
01:53That's it.
01:54It's gone.
01:55A Regency pattern teacup is made useful once more.
02:00I'm making a Victorian lady.
02:03Maybe I would do a little horrified look like...
02:06Oh!
02:09And memories found in the lake.
02:12Can we find their rightful owner?
02:14Did you lose a drone perhaps?
02:16No.
02:17Oh!
02:18It isn't.
02:23First up, we're heading to one of the most famous bodies of water in the Lake District.
02:28Windermere.
02:30It's an astonishing 32 miles around its beautiful shores.
02:35And on its west bank, on the way up to Beatrix Potter's house, is a jetty called Ash Landing.
02:42It was here, nearly 20 years ago, that houseboat owner Sandra had her life changed forever.
02:57Marnie!
02:58Can you get another lens?
02:59Can we call this one up?
03:01Call this one up.
03:02All I could see was ten foot flames, billows of smoke coming up.
03:07It was horrendous.
03:09It was horrendous.
03:10I was devastated because it was my home.
03:15You know, it had all my clothes on it, everything.
03:20The friend of mine just put his arms round me because he knew there was nothing going to be left of it.
03:2617 years ago, Sandra lost her entire life contents to the lake, including one thing she treasured more than anything.
03:43Today, with the help of our free divers, Angus, Renee and James, I'm hoping we can find it.
03:55Right, guys, Sandra was living in a houseboat.
03:59It was moored up here on Windermere.
04:01The boat is set on fire.
04:03She had on the front of the boat a bronze elephant that was her talisman, her...
04:08Her way marker.
04:09There you go.
04:10There you go.
04:11So, it's about a foot long, so it's not little.
04:14If we did an item like this, there is no way it's sat on the top.
04:17It's going to be...
04:18Boom!
04:19...well-bearing.
04:20Good luck, guys.
04:21Let's go.
04:23The elephant's my favourite thing.
04:25I loved it.
04:26I know it sounds silly.
04:28It's been in my life a long time and it's been in every house that I've had as well.
04:32And I put it on the bow of my boat.
04:34It just went into the lake.
04:35And that was the last thing I saw, really, of everything that was on the boat.
04:40Devastated.
04:41Yeah.
04:42That's it.
04:43It's gone.
04:47To try and locate Sandra's precious elephant,
04:50the divers plan to use their detectors to identify any metal wreckage from the boat.
04:58We know the boat was moored up over here close to the jetty
05:03and then it drifted this way towards the reeds.
05:06So, realistically, things could have been falling off that boat anywhere from here to here.
05:11Oh, they've gained stuff already. I can hear it clanking.
05:28It's got a huge old shovel, which still feels pretty solid.
05:33Mexico, 86.
05:35If that's still in there, there's got to be an elephant.
05:41There's plenty of metal finds at this busy jetty.
05:44But so far, no luck in finding our boat wreckage.
05:49And the detectors are proving a hindrance.
05:52This is setting off at everything because there's so much stuff down there.
06:03So, it's going to be kind of a little bit of, like, picking through it.
06:10The divers can only battle on checking every signal.
06:15Plenty of metal finds, but no sign yet of the boat wreckage.
06:25And finally, perseverance may have paid off for Rene.
06:32How's it going, Rene?
06:34There's quite a few household goods, like this kettle
06:37that looks like it's got about 17 years of rust and decay on it.
06:41OK.
06:43So, I think I found where the boat went down.
06:46That is so good!
06:48I think we should probably look a little bit more here.
06:57On all our searches, metal detectors are often a vital tool
07:02for our lost and found team.
07:04And they do usually help in the water.
07:07I found a phone!
07:08No way!
07:11And at a recent search in Derwentwater,
07:14they proved key to a chance discovery.
07:17I came across a drone.
07:20It looks like it's been in a while.
07:26Over at our research hub,
07:28it's our detectives Mew and Sam's job
07:30to try and get the items we find back to their rightful owners.
07:34For Mew, tech is her speciality.
07:38With a drone, her first job is to extract the memory card.
07:41If it still works, it could hold clues to the owner's identity.
07:45It is crusty.
07:48I feel like it's going to be really difficult to get out the SD card.
07:50Oh, gosh!
07:51I'm just going to use these nifty tweezers.
08:01Oh, my God.
08:03Come on.
08:05I think I've got it.
08:07Oh, my God!
08:08Nice.
08:10Nice!
08:12Well done.
08:14I wonder how long this SD card and drone had been down there.
08:18So, this is really exciting.
08:19We are connected.
08:28There's media.
08:30There are photos.
08:31There are videos.
08:33Obviously, whoever this belongs to is into their bikes.
08:37You have to see this.
08:38Oh, I'm so nosy.
08:40So, there are lovely pictures of the lake district.
08:43Oh, wow.
08:44Somebody's got some talent.
08:45Yeah.
08:47Let me see if there's any dates on these so I can see what year.
08:50Ah, taken in 2022.
08:52So, that's over three years ago.
08:55Oh, there are people in the photos.
08:59Oh, he's got a jumper on that has...
09:02It says Jack Taylor Photography.
09:05Well, that's...
09:06That's going to be a good win.
09:07That's a big clue.
09:08Easy win for us.
09:09I'm going to type in the name of this company.
09:12Right.
09:13There's a phone number.
09:14There's an email.
09:15So, my next job is to get in touch.
09:20It's a great lead.
09:21And incredible that the memory card has survived over three years in the water.
09:26Back on Windermere, we're still searching for Sandra's precious bronze elephants, lost to the lake when a gust of wind caused the generator on her houseboat to catch fire 17 years ago.
09:45Renee thinks she's discovered wreckage from the fire and is diving for further proof.
09:52This is a hair curler.
09:53This is a hair curler.
09:54Oh, yeah, it is.
09:55So, why would you have a hair curler out on the lake unless it was in your houseboat?
10:00You're a forensic scientist.
10:02This, like, pot, that is melted.
10:06That's melted from fire.
10:08OK.
10:09Isn't it funny how just from a few melted broken pots, you get a piece of a picture of someone's life?
10:16I was with a partner.
10:17He left me and broke my heart.
10:18So, I decided to buy a boat.
10:23I just love that life.
10:24I just like waking up in the morning on my jetty, watching the boats go past.
10:38You know, it's just a beautiful thing to do.
10:42After the fire, Sandra chose not to return to the water.
10:47She left the lakes to move near her family.
10:50Does anybody want a kitchen sink?
10:53Because I got one.
10:55The things that you're finding, are they spread out?
10:59They're pretty consistently kept together.
11:02OK.
11:03This is her kitchen sink.
11:05Or maybe it was the bathroom, I'm not sure.
11:07But it's definitely from the houseboat.
11:09Actual faucet.
11:14Finding these household items means we've finally identified the boat's last location.
11:20I should probably call the guys over.
11:22OK.
11:23I've got a hair curler.
11:25Nice.
11:26This is the boat.
11:29The divers can now focus on this area to try and find Sandra's precious elephant.
11:35I just really like it back.
11:38It just reminds me of my times on the lake, that elephant.
11:42I just don't know whether I'm going to see it again.
11:44I don't know.
11:45I don't know.
11:46I don't know.
11:47Just over 20 miles away, back at the boathouse, social media detective Mew thinks the name she found in the drone's recovered footage could be the owner.
12:08So she's making the call.
12:09Hello.
12:10Hi.
12:11Is that Jack?
12:12Speaking.
12:13Hi.
12:14I'm Mew.
12:15And I think we found something that belongs to you.
12:17Oh.
12:18OK.
12:19A couple of years ago, did you lose something in the Lake District?
12:23I don't think so.
12:24Not that I know of.
12:25Did you lose a drone, perhaps?
12:26No, I didn't.
12:27Oh.
12:28I didn't.
12:29But one of the photos.
12:30A hoodie with Jack Taylor photography.
12:32I'm a photographer.
12:33My name's Jack Taylor, but I've never worn a hoodie.
12:34So that must be someone else.
12:35No worries.
12:37Bye.
12:38Bye.
12:39Bye.
12:40I really thought we'd found him there.
12:41No worries.
12:42Bye.
12:43Bye.
12:44Bye.
12:45Bye.
12:46Bye.
12:47Bye.
12:48Bye.
12:49Bye.
12:50Bye.
12:51Bye.
12:52Bye.
12:53Bye.
12:54Bye.
12:55Bye.
12:56Bye.
12:57Bye.
12:58Bye.
12:59Bye.
13:00Bye.
13:01Bye.
13:02Bye.
13:03Bye.
13:04Bye.
13:05Bye.
13:06Bye.
13:07Bye.
13:08Bye.
13:09Bye.
13:10Bye.
13:11Bye.
13:12Bye.
13:13Bye.
13:14Bye.
13:15Bye.
13:16Bye.
13:17Bye.
13:18Bye.
13:19Bye.
13:20Bye.
13:21Bye.
13:22Bye.
13:23Bye.
13:24Bye.
13:25found in the lakes. We think we found something that belongs to you. Okay. Did you lose something?
13:32Yeah, Dermot Mortar. Dermot Mortar and? It flies. Well, guess what? We found your drone.
13:40Perfect. Thank you very much. Yeah. Not a call I was expecting. We would love to get this back to
13:47you. Would you be up for coming and getting your drone and your content back? Yeah. It would be
13:52nice to have the clips. That would be great. Very exciting. Bye. Bye now. Bye. What a
13:58result. That small clue finally got us to the right Jack. I can't wait to meet him and return
14:07his stunning lost images. When we're out and about on our searches, it's not unusual for
14:20us to happen upon treasured lost items. But we do also find things people have just thrown
14:25away. And one thing that comes up more than most is old bits of crockery.
14:33There's more stuff than you can pick up. Oh, plates. Yeah. Unusual. Yeah. Thankfully,
14:39we have one crafter who can give finds like this a new lease of life. Hold on to your hats.
14:45Oh, look at this. This is almost complete, isn't it? And it's got a very pretty pattern
14:52on. Sally is a ceramicist who loves to use old bits and pieces in her work.
15:00This is a Mason design teacup. This design was actually made from 1813. It's an interesting
15:08thought to think how a cup like this would have ended up in the lake. I sort of am taken back
15:14to like these Victorians arriving on the train. People used to come and they used to pack up
15:21big baskets and they would put full tea sets into a rowing boat and they would go out to
15:27an island with some cucumber sandwiches or something and sort of thinking about how they would fit
15:33into a rowing boat. I mean, there's no wonder, isn't there? So much went over the side with
15:37them bustles going about. Breakage has happened. So I'm making a Victorian, Edwardian style lady.
15:47One of the things that I love doing is I like making decorative objects for the garden. So I would
15:51like maybe turn that into a cane topper or something. This is the little lady. This is the top of the body.
15:57I'm just making shapes, sort of like a little body. Might pop a little bit on there, you see.
16:06See, I'm really happy with how it's shaping up.
16:13While Sally cracks on, 18 miles away at the boathouse, I have the happy task of reuniting the drone
16:23we found with its owner. Jack, nice to meet you. Lovely to meet you, Helen. Have a seat. Thank you.
16:29Right, tell me about this drone. A drone that I had for about three weeks beforehand.
16:35So it was a brand new drone? It was. And I thought, you know what, I'll treat myself to a nice drone.
16:40Took a trip to the Lake District, took it out for a flight and it didn't really come back from the flight.
16:46What are you thinking when the drone disappears? A little bit of a, let's go with tantrum.
16:52And yeah, I was gutted. What was on the drone? What had you taken pictures of?
17:00I took it out for a flight of a Dermot Water and I wanted to get some with the sunset.
17:05And then a few of the lake got a shot of a Ukrainian flag. I think we put it up in solidarity.
17:11So are those the pictures that you would like to see? Yeah.
17:15I think it would just be nice just to see that flag with the background and the backdrop.
17:18And I think it was a good shot, but I'm not 100% sure.
17:23Let me show you.
17:25This.
17:26Oh, wow.
17:27Is what it looks like.
17:29That's definitely seen better days.
17:31Oh, the lens is pretty clean.
17:36Optimistic.
17:37I'm surprised. I thought it was going to be a lot worse.
17:40OK. Pass me the SD card.
17:42It worked for you. Will it work for me?
17:45Fingers crossed.
17:46Well, we're talking two and a half years, the bottom of Dermot Water.
17:50Right, let's give it a whirl.
17:53You look a bit nervous.
17:55I am.
17:56We got it.
18:03This was the day.
18:05This was the day.
18:13These are great pictures.
18:17That's the one.
18:19Yeah.
18:19Of all the images, that's the one that's made you stop and go, oh.
18:29Yeah.
18:32Of course, I have a friend whose grandmother is Ukrainian, so I thought I'd get the footage
18:38for her.
18:38No, it's just nice to see that the actual flight wasn't all in vain.
18:47It's the memories, isn't it, more than anything.
18:49Well, it's got a story to tell.
18:50Exactly.
18:51Thank you, Jack.
18:54The fact I've got it back, I feel ecstatic, honestly.
18:56I think the photos do definitely have more special meaning now, because I just thought they were
19:04gone forever, and I'd never actually see them.
19:07And whenever we're at the Lake District with friends, it'll definitely be pulled out of
19:12the bag with that story.
19:14Great detective work and one happy Jack.
19:17And back at Sally's workshop, her cane topper has had its first fire, and she's added a little
19:27extra to the story.
19:29One of the nice little things that I actually found on the design is what looks like a swan.
19:36So I thought that might be quite nice, like with the lake and the swans and the lake from
19:41which it came from.
19:44What look will I do on her face?
19:46Maybe I would do a little horrified look, like, oh!
19:50Yeah, maybe she'll look a bit shocked because of the swanny coming for all the food or something.
19:55Maybe she looks a bit shocked because she's dropped a cup of tea.
19:59I'd be shocked if I dropped my cup of tea.
20:02Ha ha!
20:03I'd be very shocked.
20:05I love a cup of tea.
20:07And after a final fire in the kiln, Lady Teacup is ready to be assembled.
20:13OK.
20:14Here we go.
20:15Oh, amazing.
20:18Ah, yes!
20:21Just got to glue her onto the cup now.
20:24I love making cane toppers and things because I'm a really keen gardener.
20:32I think they're really lovely, like, little bits of jewellery in the garden.
20:35And I really love her little surprise face.
20:38It's a sort of like, oh, run away!
20:42Oh, yeah, I'm really, really pleased with her.
20:46Sally's discarded crockery from the bottom of a lake, reworked and reloved, could fetch 50 pounds at markets.
20:54Meanwhile, over on Windermere, we've identified the wreckage area of Sandra's boats.
21:07Feet has melted a bunch of stuff together.
21:11But while things are turning up, there's still no sign of the missing elephant.
21:18So I'm turning back to the day it was lost to the lake 17 years ago.
21:24We have found this little video online.
21:29It shows the moment that the bronze elephant fell off the front of the boat.
21:36You can see here, see it go now.
21:41And at that point, you can see this sort of horizon and some of that landscape.
21:48So Rene and Angus are close, but they're not bang on the money.
21:53And as it stands, it looks like James at the minute is the closest, but a bit further that way.
22:03It looks like the video's been taken from this angle because you can see the jetty in the background.
22:07You can't see a lot of the smoke.
22:08You can see the jetty in the background and you can see the horizon.
22:11And it looks like the boat was sort of drifting this way at that point.
22:18Rene, James, Angus, I think you need to come this way.
22:24Have you watched the video back?
22:26The elephant fell off, sort of in front of here.
22:30There's signals everywhere.
22:31Yeah.
22:32So I reckon you're better off this way a bit.
22:39I'm really hoping this new information can help.
22:48Oh my word, James has found the elephant.
23:16There is no question that is the elephant.
23:29If you have ever been in the unfortunate position of having to go through a house fire, it can be so traumatic, devastating for lots of people.
23:42To be able to reunite her with this, well, I just think it's going to be a treat.
23:47For 17 years, this beloved elephant has been at the bottom of Windermere, but not anymore.
23:55And now, back at the Boathouse, Sandra is on her way and I can't wait to give her the news.
24:06But I might not let on straight away.
24:09For some reason I feel more nervous than I did before, just because of the anticipation, I suppose.
24:15Hello, Sandra.
24:18Hello.
24:19Nice to meet you, I'm Helen.
24:21Nice to meet you.
24:22Thank you for coming down.
24:23Tell me about living on a boat, because that sounds like the dream.
24:28It was an adventure.
24:29It was hard in the winter sometimes, you know, but really worthwhile.
24:33And when you sleep at night on a boat, it's like being in a cradle.
24:36It just kind of rocks you like that.
24:38But it's one of those adventures that clearly was a good time, because when you talk about it, you light up.
24:43Well, it was.
24:44I mean, it's beautiful on the lake, you know.
24:46It was just such a good life.
24:48We felt so sad about what happened to your life's belongings.
24:52And I know you're being very gracious about it, but that's a difficult thing to have to navigate.
24:56Yeah.
24:57So we asked our team to go and have a look and see what they could find.
25:01I want to introduce you to one of them, Renee.
25:04Renee is one of our free divers.
25:06Hello.
25:07Lovely to meet you.
25:08And you.
25:09You did find some bits and bobs, though, didn't you?
25:12We did.
25:12We did find some stuff in the water, but we're not sure if it's yours.
25:16So I want to just grab it and see.
25:19Okay.
25:20The guys were diving, and they found what they thought was a wreck of a boat.
25:25Really?
25:26Yep.
25:26It seemed like the wreck of a boat.
25:29And?
25:33Do you recognize this hose?
25:36It could be.
25:40I mean, that definitely looks like fire damage to me.
25:42Yeah, it does.
25:43It does.
25:43It looks like quite a good sculpture, actually.
25:46That's quite nice, isn't it?
25:48Now, this is where I thought that potentially this was your boat, because you don't normally
25:53find hair curlers in the lake.
25:56I didn't have any hair things on the boat.
25:58You didn't have any hair things.
25:59I just used to let my hair dry.
26:00I never blow dried it, really.
26:02Oh, goodness.
26:03Well.
26:03Well.
26:04The plot thickens.
26:06We did pull up.
26:07Oh, that's my sink.
26:11Oh, that's my sink.
26:12Oh, my God.
26:14That's the sink in the bathroom.
26:17I used to clean my teeth in it before work in the morning.
26:20But does this replace the elephant in any way?
26:22I really wanted the elephant, but, you know, it's something, isn't it, from my boat.
26:26So, you know, I appreciate all your efforts.
26:28I really do.
26:29Well, you guys were sort of going all over, weren't you?
26:31You were combing the area.
26:32We were looking at the videos.
26:34There was that other thing that came up.
26:35I don't know if you recognize this.
26:40Oh, my God.
26:43Oh, my God.
26:46Oh.
26:49Oh, that's amazing.
26:51What does it taste in my eyes?
26:55He's even actually more handsome than I remembered, you know, isn't he?
26:58He is beautiful.
27:00Is this your elephant?
27:01That's my elephant.
27:02Yes, it is.
27:04I mean, he's a bit charred on the legs, but, yeah.
27:07It was James, one of our freedivers, who found it, and he basically saw that bit sticking out.
27:15Really?
27:16Yep.
27:17So he was face down there?
27:17So it went.
27:18Yeah.
27:19Wow.
27:20I can't believe this.
27:21I'm still in a bit of shock.
27:23You look so good together, too.
27:24Look at you.
27:25The perfect pair.
27:27I know.
27:28Oh, I can't believe it.
27:30Oh, you're welcome.
27:32For your efforts.
27:33I'm perfect Aaron.
27:35Well done, Sandra.
27:36Thank you for sharing your story with us.
27:38You're very welcome.
27:39Right.
27:39Lovely to meet you, Sandra.
27:40See you.
27:41Bye.
27:41Bye.
27:41You don't normally get to do this.
27:44I don't normally get to do this.
27:45It's really special.
27:46Okay.
27:47Good.
27:47Now get back to the lake and find more stuff.
27:51He looks marvellous.
27:52He actually looks better than he did.
27:54He's got a bit of gold on him.
27:56He has got a story to tell, yeah.
27:58A bit like me, really.
28:00No.
28:04Next time.
28:06A precious possession lost for 60 years.
28:09It would be a miracle if it was found.
28:11Will it be unearthed?
28:12I'm going to have to dig that, because that's quite a solid single.
28:16And our three divers search for a family phone full of memories.
28:21Hopefully this should be a pretty easy find for us.
28:23Woo!
28:29I'm going to have to dig that.
Be the first to comment