A YOUNG boy out on one of his first fishing trips with his mum snagged more than he bargained for... when the pair dragged an empty safe from the depths of a pond.
Beth Robinson, who lives in Fingringhoe with her son Riley, ten, had ventured out to a pond near their home for some fresh air.
The pair were magnet fishing in the pond near Fingringhoe Primary School when they made the unusual discovery.
“We hadn’t been expecting to catch much, apart from the odd fishing hook or something like that,” said Beth.
“We had been there for an hour or so.
“We were in the same spot and nothing really happened, so we decided to move.
“We moved towards the edge of the pond near the road and sat on the concrete wall.
“My son threw the magnet in a few times and came up with nothing, but he did it again and was so surprised as he felt the rope and the magnet go tight.”
Magnet fishing is a hobby which combines environmentalism and treasure hunting, and Riley’s find had the potential to fulfil both objectives.
“He said ‘Mum, I’ve definitely got something’,” said Beth.
“He slowly started to pull the rope in and asked if I could help. He was so excited, so between us we pulled the rope and watched as huge bubbles came from beneath.
“As we pulled it closer we could start to see what we thought was some sort of old metal sign that had been thrown in, it wasn’t until we managed to get it right in that we saw it was a huge metal safe.”
The pair couldn’t haul the hulking find out of the water with the magnet alone as it was too heavy, so Beth jumped in to lift the safe out.
“Riley was so excited, he wanted to see if there was anything inside.
“It looked like someone had stolen it and broken it to it, as the lock was all bent and busted up.
“Unfortunately it was empty so we came to the conclusion someone had stolen it, had what they wanted from it and dumped it in the pond straight from their car. It was near the road and weighs a ton.
“I managed to get it in the car, sustaining many bruises, and it’s still at our house.”
Riley is still excited about his discovered treasure, the pride of his short magnet fishing career,
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