Plans needed for camera retrieval
Discussion
A few days ago, to my extreme vexation, I dropped my cute little Leica compact into the middle of a river.
I'll pause to let the guffaws subside...
Now I appreciate the camera will be damaged beyond repair, but I want it back, if for no other reason than otherwise I shall be cruising over it for the next 10 years and every time I do so it will spoil my day.
I've had a few ideas for a retrieval operation but none has seemed sufficiently reliable. Here are the facts to get your brains working:
The camera is small but has a metal body.
It is lying in about five feet of water, roughly in the middle of the river which is about 30 feet wide (near the A10 between Cambridge and Ely is that makes a difference!)
The visibility is 2-3 feet looking down.
I can locate the search area to about 6 x 30 feet (I was cruising when I dropped it).
The bottom of the river, as far as I can tell from my brief efforts with a Sea Searcher magnet (see below), is fairly firm and not too weedy.
I can access the river either from the boat or one bank.
The stern of the boat is about three feet high.
I can't swim and have no intention of getting wet.
This is a Sea Searcher magnet: www.limekilnchandlers.co.uk/index.php?act=viewProd...
Amongst the massed intellect of the PH DIY forum there must be an answer that will work. Magnet, metal detector, lawn rake, home-made trawling device, or something else? It is infuriating that it's so close yet so unreachable. If I could drop the magnet straight onto it, fine, but I can't pinpoint the position that accurately.
Over to you guys
I'll pause to let the guffaws subside...
Now I appreciate the camera will be damaged beyond repair, but I want it back, if for no other reason than otherwise I shall be cruising over it for the next 10 years and every time I do so it will spoil my day.
I've had a few ideas for a retrieval operation but none has seemed sufficiently reliable. Here are the facts to get your brains working:
The camera is small but has a metal body.
It is lying in about five feet of water, roughly in the middle of the river which is about 30 feet wide (near the A10 between Cambridge and Ely is that makes a difference!)
The visibility is 2-3 feet looking down.
I can locate the search area to about 6 x 30 feet (I was cruising when I dropped it).
The bottom of the river, as far as I can tell from my brief efforts with a Sea Searcher magnet (see below), is fairly firm and not too weedy.
I can access the river either from the boat or one bank.
The stern of the boat is about three feet high.
I can't swim and have no intention of getting wet.
This is a Sea Searcher magnet: www.limekilnchandlers.co.uk/index.php?act=viewProd...
Amongst the massed intellect of the PH DIY forum there must be an answer that will work. Magnet, metal detector, lawn rake, home-made trawling device, or something else? It is infuriating that it's so close yet so unreachable. If I could drop the magnet straight onto it, fine, but I can't pinpoint the position that accurately.
Over to you guys
Edited by Simpo Two on Saturday 4th September 10:59
FasterFreddy said:
First thing - are you sure it has some ferrous metal on it anywhere?
Good question. I /thought assumed it was but at present am unable to find out!It looks like this BTW: www.popphoto.com/Reviews/Cameras/Camera-Test-Leica...
Speak to a local dive club? I'd imagine they'd give it a go for a donation to their club funds. I'd give it a go but it's a long way and my next few weekends are busy!
Some years ago some yobs caught hold of the son of a friend and threw his bike off a river bridge into the river Severn while it was nearing flood state (think large logs, muddy red water, roaring rapids).
In the early hours we went down with a grappling hook and a rope in a silly hope that if we trawled enough we might catch it if it wasn't already 20 miles downstream. After a bit of practice and foolery trying to get the hook as far downstream as we could by swinging it like an athlete swings a discuss we finally let go and it splashed into the muddy torrent about 30 meters downstream. We pulled in the rope for the next throw and the bike was dangling by its brake cable on the end!
In the early hours we went down with a grappling hook and a rope in a silly hope that if we trawled enough we might catch it if it wasn't already 20 miles downstream. After a bit of practice and foolery trying to get the hook as far downstream as we could by swinging it like an athlete swings a discuss we finally let go and it splashed into the muddy torrent about 30 meters downstream. We pulled in the rope for the next throw and the bike was dangling by its brake cable on the end!
One of these on a stick to locate it, then a hook or magnet on a stick to retrieve it,
http://www.naturewatchuk.co.uk/mall/productpage.cf...
http://www.naturewatchuk.co.uk/mall/productpage.cf...
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