Treasure hunting diver finds missing GoPro capturing the final moments of man who drowned at Tennessee waterfall two years ago
- YouTube vlogger and treasure hunter Rich Aloha discovered the missing GoPro
- It contained the final moments of Richard Ragland, who droved at Foster Falls Recreation Area in June 2017
- Aloha searched for Ragland’s family and returned the SD card
- His parents, Robin and Gary McCrear, said its shows their son enjoying himself
- They haven’t watched all the footage but say they will try to one day so that they can get answers
A treasure hunter diving in Tennessee found a missing GoPro camera containing the final moments of a man who drowned at a waterfall two years ago.
YouTube vlogger Rich Aloha was diving at Forest Falls Recreation Area in Marion County, Tennessee when he discovered a GoPro lodged in mud beneath the water.
The mysterious GoPro belonged to 22-year-old Richard Ragland, a Georgia man who tragically drowned at the waterfall two years earlier while spending time with friends.
At the time, his parents Robin and Gary McCrear hoped footage taken by one of Ragland’s friends while he was alive in the water would bring them closure.
Rich Aloha (pictured),a YouTube vlogger and treasure hunter, found a missing GoPro camera containing the final moments of a man who drowned at a Tennessee waterfall in 2017
Richard Ragland (pictured) drowned in 2017 at Foster Falls Recreation Area, just a few days before his 23rd birthday
Unfortunately, an envelope sent from park rangers supposed to hold a thumb drive with footage of Ragland having fun with his friends arrived to the family empty and prompted them to believe someone stole the video.
They didn’t expect Aloha to find their son’s GoPro and Robin told WSB-TV, ‘He actually found Richard’s GoPro camera.’
Aloha told WSB-TV, ‘I strongly believe that God led me to this GoPro because the only thing I saw was the end tip of the thumb screw and everything else was just covered in muck.’
Aloha: ‘I’m glad I found it, personally,’ he said, ‘because I try to do the right thing and get the item back to the rightful owner’
Aloha believed the GoPro might belong to Ragland after park rangers told him about the 2017 drowning.
Miraculously, the SD card was still inside the camera and functional.
Aloha said, ‘I was going through the footage and I said, ‘Oh my God, this is the guy.’
The search for Ragland’s family began, with Aloha going through several Google searches and making phone calls to possible family members.
‘I’m glad I found it, personally,’ he said, ‘because I try to do the right thing and get the item back to the rightful owner.’
The McCrears hope the footage can provide answers to their sons tragic death and give closure
Then, Aloha found the McCrears.
Robin said: ‘For him to go through his efforts to do his research, make numerous phone calls, he didn’t give up until he got in touch with us and that means the world to us.’
The McCrears say that eventually they’ll try to watch the Ragland’s final recorded moments to get answers to their son’s death, but right now they’re thankful for Aloha and the film.
Robin said: ‘What we’ve seen so far is Rich being Rich, living life to the fullest.’