When most people head to the beach, they bring chairs, coolers, toys, fishing gear and personal items, such as phones, keys and wallets.
Inevitably, some of it gets left behind.
To help reunite owners with lost items, Oak Island has launched an initiative called “What’s Found Wednesday.”
The program began on Sept. 2, and Oak Island Communications Manager Mike Emory said the town website registered more than 1,200 visits from nearly 700 active users during the first week with “What’s Found Wednesday” being the site’s most visited page on the day it launched.
What is ‘What’s Found Wednesday?’
While other organizations have similar programs, Emory believes the “What’s Found Wednesday” branding is unique to Oak Island.
“Every Wednesday a new set of "clues" is published on the Town Website
and the Town Facebook page, as well as sent out via email through our OKInformation system,” Emory said in an email. “Readers are encouraged to share this week’s clue graphic, in hopes someone might see them and recognize an item they previously lost or misplaced.”
How did the initiative get started?
When unclaimed property is turned over to the police department, it must be kept for at least 180 days, followed by a public notice published in local newspaper outlets. If no one claims it, it is transferred to Brunswick County Schools where it is auctioned off with proceeds benefiting the school system.
“So, as items come in, with no one to claim them, they can quickly accumulate,” Emory said. “Previous efforts were not drawing much success, so the idea came to create a new series to engage the public in helping us ‘solve the mystery’ of reuniting property owners with found items.”
What items are often found?
Wallets, ID cards, car keys, drones and laptops are common finds.
Sara Crissman, administrative assistant for the Oak Island Police Department, said one of the most unusual items was a men’s wallet hooked by a fisherman. When police contacted the owner, they learned he had lost it six months earlier. Although the wallet had deteriorated, the money remained inside.
Renee Spencer is the community engagement editor at the StarNews. Reach her at rspencer@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Keys and wallets are the most found items in this Brunswick beach town
