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Say cheese! The holiday season offers endless opportunities to capture memories of family and friends that we'll cherish for years to come. One Minnesota couple would have lost their cache of treasured snapshots, had it not been for the kindness of a determined stranger.
As Bill and Lois Brenner motorcycled up Yellowstone's Beartooth Mountain, they pulled over to bundle up as increasing altitude brought decreasing temperatures. Back on the road, the pair came upon some amazing vistas, and Bill stopped to take some shots. When he reached for his camera -- a 50th anniversary gift from the couple's children -- he realized it was missing. "It had a lot of sentimental value, plus all our pictures from the trip," Lois said.
Meanwhile, Karl Hartzell was bicycling up the mountain, not far behind the Brenners. The Oregon man spotted the camera on the side of the road. "It was amazing that I stopped where I did and found the camera," Hartzell said. "I figure I picked it up moments after it was dropped as no vehicle had done it any damage."
Hartzell carried it home and downloaded the photos, "playing detective" by looking for clues to identify the owners. In one photo, Lois sported her motorcycle club jacket, so Hartzell e-mailed the picture to several chapters of the club. One member recognized the Brenners and shared the good news that their camera had been found.
"Ken is our hero," Lois said. "We consider him a friend now and would love to go to Oregon in the future to meet him."
Detective Work Reunites Camera and Couple
Say cheese! The holiday season offers endless opportunities to capture memories of family and friends that we'll cherish for years to come. One Minnesota couple would have lost their cache of treasured snapshots, had it not been for the kindness of a determined stranger.As Bill and Lois Brenner motorcycled up Yellowstone's Beartooth Mountain, they pulled over to bundle up as increasing altitude brought decreasing temperatures. Back on the road, the pair came upon some amazing vistas, and Bill stopped to take some shots. When he reached for his camera -- a 50th anniversary gift from the couple's children -- he realized it was missing. "It had a lot of sentimental value, plus all our pictures from the trip," Lois said.
Meanwhile, Karl Hartzell was bicycling up the mountain, not far behind the Brenners. The Oregon man spotted the camera on the side of the road. "It was amazing that I stopped where I did and found the camera," Hartzell said. "I figure I picked it up moments after it was dropped as no vehicle had done it any damage."
Hartzell carried it home and downloaded the photos, "playing detective" by looking for clues to identify the owners. In one photo, Lois sported her motorcycle club jacket, so Hartzell e-mailed the picture to several chapters of the club. One member recognized the Brenners and shared the good news that their camera had been found.
"Ken is our hero," Lois said. "We consider him a friend now and would love to go to Oregon in the future to meet him."
