Boise’s Kind River Robin Hood Reunites Floaters With Their Sunken Valuables
If it hasn’t happened to you yet, it will eventually!
There you are, floating the Boise River with your family when relaxation turns to pure panic. When you start to unload your raft at Ann Morrison Park, you realize that something from your raft went overboard somewhere along the way. Maybe it was something that will cause you a minor inconvenience, like a flip-flop or a pair of sunglasses you bought at the gas station. Maybe it was something valuable like your car keys, wallet, smartphone or wedding ring. Whatever it was, you’re fairly sure that it’s now sitting at the bottom of the Boise River never to be seen again!
Cheer-up, buttercup. Not all hope is lost. Boise has its very own “River Robin Hood!” While his name might not actually be Robin, it’s a title snorkeling enthusiast Rocky Detwiler wears proudly. He loves the Boise River and hunts it for treasures regularly. When he comes across something valuable like a cell phone, smartwatch or wallet, he has a mission to get it back to the rightful owner. Sometimes that means locating the Medical ID information in a waterlogged phone that miraculously turned on. Other times, it means trying to connect via social media with someone whose credit cards or ID are inside a soggy wallet.
Detwiler became something of a local celebrity after returning not one, but two prosthetic legs to their rightful owners. As the story went viral, he felt inspired to set up his River Robin Hood Facebook page. Not only is it a place for him to share what he’s found during his dives, but it’s also a way for folks to reach out when they’ve lost something on the river, at a lake or in one of Boise’s ponds.
Just this month, he helped reunite Kriszh with four phones and a set of car keys her group of friends lost while floating. During the dive, he found a fifth phone that he’s actively trying to reunite with its owner.
While on a dive for someone that had reached out, he came across a small wallet full of credit cards, key cards and IDs. When he couldn’t find the woman it belonged to on Facebook, he took the ICCU card to a branch and the credit union was able to help him connect with the very grateful woman!
So, how do you connect with him if you've lost something? Give his Facebook page a like! It also contains his e-mail address and a phone number. He MAY have already found your valuables. Earlier week, he shared a video and photos of five phones he found on a dive. Two phones, a wallet and car keys from that dive found their way home. He’s still looking for who owns the other three!