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Rich AlohaAmerican video blogger and treasure hunter
Date of Birth: 01.01.1997
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Discovery of a Lost GoPro
- Identifying the GoPro
- The Missing Flash Drive
- Divine Intervention
- A Connection Established
- A Social Media Search
- A Family's Gratitude
- Revisiting the Final Moments
Discovery of a Lost GoPro
American YouTuber and Treasure Hunter Discovers Lost GoProTwo years after a 22-year-old man drowned at a Tennessee waterfall, a GoPro camera captured the final moments of his life, which was found submerged in mud. The camera was discovered by treasure hunter and YouTuber Rich Aloha while diving in Forest Falls Recreation Area in Marion County, Tennessee.
Identifying the GoPro
The mysterious GoPro belonged to Richard Ragland, a 22-year-old from Georgia. Tragically, Ragland had passed away two years prior after going missing at the waterfall while hanging out with friends. His parents, Robin and Gary McCrary, had hoped that footage taken by one of Ragland's friends while he was still alive and swimming would provide some insight into his passing.
The Missing Flash Drive
Disappointingly, an envelope sent from the park rangers, which was supposed to contain a flash drive with pictures and videos of Ragland's outing, arrived empty. Dejected, Robin and Gary assumed the flash drive had been stolen. Little did they know that Aloha would stumble upon their son's GoPro.
Divine Intervention
"He actually found our Richard's GoPro," Robin exclaimed in an interview with WSB-TV. "I really believe God led me to this camera because all I saw was the tip of the thumbscrew, and the rest of the camera was covered in mud," Aloha said in an interview with the same station.
A Connection Established
Aloha suspected the GoPro belonged to Ragland after park rangers informed him about the 2017 incident. Amazingly, the SD card inside was still functional. "I went through the footage and I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, that's the guy!'" Rich recalled.
A Social Media Search
Setting out to find Ragland's family, the YouTuber conducted several Google searches and made calls to potential family members. "I'm glad I was the one who was able to find the family myself because I try to do right and get things back to the rightful owners," Aloha said.
A Family's Gratitude
Robin praised the young man's dedication to a family he had no connection to. "He went to the full extent to do his research and make all those phone calls. He didn't give up until he got to us, and it means the world to us," she said.
Revisiting the Final Moments
The Ragland family expressed that they would eventually gather the courage to watch the final video footage captured of their son. "So far, we've seen that our Richard was just who he was. He was just a happy-go-lucky person," Robin shared.
