Two rookie magnet fishers couldn’t believe their luck when they pulled out an expensive bike…on their first day of trying out their new hobby.
The father and son duo, who wanted to remain anonymous, visited the Aylesbury stretch of the Grand Union Canal in the late morning/early afternoon of Sunday, May 23, to see what was hidden underneath the waters.
After nearly an hour of not finding anything near Bridges 17 and 18, the pair walked over to Bridge 19 on Highbridge Walk to try their luck.
Their first find was a gold locket of a devil’s face before they pulled out the mountain bike moments later.
The bike was found in the Aylesbury stretch of the Grand Union Canal on May 23
Their discovery caught the attention of several locals who were interested to see what else was in the canal.
READ MORE: Bomb disposal team attends reports of suspicious item in River Thames
The son said: “It wasn’t bad for our first day.
“I stumbled upon watching magnet fishing videos on YouTube in late 2018/early 2019 and thought the concept was brilliant.
It has been shared in the Aylesbury Grapevine Facebook page
“It’s amazing to see what has been chucked into the water, and of course, you’re always hoping to find something big like a bike, but not on your first day in trying it out.
“We’re hopeful of returning it to the rightful owner as we believe it has been stolen, and we also think it couldn’t have been down there for too long, as it is in very good condition.
The bike frame
“But we are a bit sceptical that some people may claim that their bike is theirs.”
The popularity of magnet fishing has increased all over the country, Europe, the US, and Australia due to numerous videos of the hobby being uploaded onto YouTube.
The curiosity of what is hidden in lakes, canals, and rivers has piqued the interest of people all over the world, with some videos on YouTube reaching well over a million views.
The devil locket that was also found
Several celebrities have also got involved in the hobby such as the former rugby player, James Haskell.
READ MORE: Magnet fishers leave scrap metal found in River Thames by Marlow Bridge
However, there has been some criticism over the activity, as several magnet fishers have been known to leave items by the canal's towpath, with some enthusiasts pulling out undetonated bombs which date back to WWII.
The Canal & River Trust revealed in November 2020 that they ‘don't allow magnet fishing as it can be extremely dangerous’, however, this hasn’t stopped fishers from trying their luck with what is in the water.
The bike was found in Aylesbury
The son continued: “We weren’t aware of the rules surrounding magnet fishing before a couple of friends told me about it after we had pulled the bike and locket out, but, we just wanted to try something new and hopefully return any items to their owners.”
The bike that was found was a Giant Rock mountain bike, which is usually worth hundreds of pounds.
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