Treasure Hunter Finds Astonishing Footage Of Man's Final Moments Before He Slipped Underwater And Drowned

A treasure hunter managed to bring some peace to a couple who were mourning after he stumbled upon something quite unexpected.

Back in 2017, 22-year-old Richard Ragland tragically drowned at a waterfall just a few days before what would have been his 23rd birthday.

The unfortunate incident took place while he was with friends at Foster Falls State Park in Tennessee, USA.

Following Richard's untimely death, his mother, Robin McCrear, was left with many unanswered questions about what had happened.

Richard Ragland died at the age of 22 in 2017. WSB-TV

For a long time, she didn't have the answers she desperately sought.

Several months after her son's death, park rangers sent Robin a thumb drive that contained footage of Richard.

Sadly, when she received the package, she discovered that the thumb drive was missing, apparently stolen during transit.

"We miss him dearly with all of our hearts," Robin shared with WSB-TV at that time.

"He was an amazing young man. Full of love, full of energy," she added, reminiscing about Richard.

In a surprising turn of events, two years after Richard's death, a YouTuber and treasure hunter named Rich Aloha, whose real name is Rich Abernathy, discovered Richard's GoPro camera.

Rich had been exploring the very waterfall where Richard had died when he found the camera.

He consulted with the park rangers about his find, and they informed him about Richard's tragic accident back in 2017.

Amazingly, the SD card in the camera, which contained footage leading up to Richard's last moments, was still intact.

Rich Aloha pictured with Richard Ragland's mom and stepdad. WSB-TV

"I strongly believe that God led me to this GoPro because the only thing I saw was the end tip of the thumbscrew and everything else was just covered in muck," Rich told WSB-TV in 2019.

After viewing the footage and realizing whose it was, Rich felt compelled to get in touch with Richard's parents.

He spent hours online and finally managed to find Robin's phone number.

He called her to express his desire to return the camera and the SD card to her.

Robin said the footage showed "Rich being Rich, living life to the fullest." 

She expressed how much it meant to them that Rich went out of his way to contact them. 

"It means the world to us," she stated.

Rich also spoke to The New York Times, saying, "It means so much that I could bring something totally invaluable and priceless to them."

As of 2019, the video Rich posted on YouTube, capturing the moment he found Richard's GoPro, had received 71,000 views.

In the comments section of that video, Rich received widespread praise for his efforts to connect with Richard's parents and give them the footage.