A scuba diver by the name of Rich Aloha deserves all of the praise after he brought joy and closure to two parents mourning their son. Rich found a GoPro camera belonging to Richard Ragland, the 22-year-old who died while diving in the Forest Falls Recreation Area back in 2017. He then delivered the footage to Richard’s parents, who got to see their son’s final moments.
From NYPost:
A treasure-hunting scuba diver in Tennessee found a GoPro camera — allowing him to share with grieving parents the final joy-filled moments of their son who had drowned two years earlier. Rich Aloha was floored when he found Richard Ragland’s missing camera after the 22-year-old died in 2017 while diving in the Forest Falls Recreation Area, according to WSB-TV. “I strongly believe that God led me to this GoPro because the only thing I saw was the end tip of the thumbscrew and everything else was just covered in muck,” he told the station. “I was going through the footage and I said, ‘Oh my God, this is the guy.’” The camera’s footage showed Ragland smiling and laughing in the Marion County waterfall with his friends — his final moments before he drowned that day. Aloha, who calls himself a treasure hunter, tracked down Ragland’s parents in Sandy Springs, Georgia, and delivered the precious footage to them. Grieving mom Robin McCrear called it “an out-of-body experience” to see the footage of her son, who she said was “full of love, full of energy. What we’ve seen so far is Rich being Rich, living life to the fullest,” she told the station, saying they had not watched it all but hoped it may provide answers as to what happened.”
They were moved by the diver’s kindness, as are we.
“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 grieving mom said.
“My heart 💔 breaks for the family and friends of Richard L Ragland III I’m beyond amazed that God used me as a vessel for His glory to return such a priceless GoPro to the family!!! #Miracles happen and #Prayers really do get answered! Trust me!,” Rich Aloha wrote on Facebook.
Wow!
