Couple throw magnet to the bottom of New York river and emerge with life-changing find

A couple in the US were shocked when they uncovered an unbelievable find during their magnet fishing trip.

James Kane and Barbie Agostini from New York both began the hobby to pass the time during the pandemic. They also took it up to see if they could come across any exciting finds, which have ranged from guns, grenades from World War II, coins and jewellery in the past, and to vlog about the experience on YouTube.

This was certainly the case when the pair were magnet fishing at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens on Friday (May 31) as the strong magnet attached to their fishing rod picked up a "mysterious" box.

What made the find even more mysterious (and exciting) was that the metal safe was filled with cash - and we're not just talking about the odd $20 note.

Inside there was a huge £78,000 ($100,000).

The safe that James and Barbie discoveredNY1 News and Youtube/Let’s Get Magnetic

Although this isn't the first safe the couple have come across from their pastime, they couldn't quite believe the sum of money they recently came across.

"We have found plenty of safes before, this is just what a magnet fisher does," James explained to local news outlet NY1, and added that they have previously found old safes before but were usually either empty or contained money that had disintegrated.

"We pulled out and it was two stacks of freaking hundreds. Big stacks."

“I couldn’t believe it,” Barbie said. “I lost it.”

James and Barbie informed the New York Police Department (NYPD) about their find but the police investigated and didn't find any criminal links to the money and were told they could keep the money which was soggy from being in the water but was still intact.

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