YouTube diver finds GoPro camera near waterfall containing man's final moments alive
A YouTube diver brought closure to a family with a chance discovery
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Your support makes all the difference.Video of the final moments of a man who drowned at a waterfall have been discovered two years later - by a diver who spotted his GoPro deep underwater.
Richard Ragland got into difficult and drowned at Foster Falls State Park in Tennessee in 2017 just a few days before his 23rd birthday, and, ever since, his parents have sought the closure of knowing about his last few hours alive.
Now, they’ve had that breakthrough, after YouTuber Rich Aloha - a diver and self-described treasure hunter discovered Mr Ragland’s GoPro, complete with a working memory card filled with videos.
It’s filled with happy videos of Mr Ragland fooling around with friends, as they film themselves in the water using selfie sticks.
Mr Aloha describes himself as a treasure hunter who was diving in the area where Mr Ragland drowned.
He spotted the GoPro camera, and found a memory card inside and retrieved the footage.
He had heard of Mr Ragland from park rangers, and told local media: "I was going through the footage and I said: ‘Oh my God, this is the guy’”
Using Google, he spent time tracking down the family to hand over the memory card.
Mr Ragland’s mother, Robin McCrear, told Atlanta’s WSB TV: “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.”
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