James Kane, a magnet fisher in New York, often retrieves various objects from local waterways using a powerful magnet.
He was astonished to find stacks of $100 bills in a safe from Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Fox News reported that Kane’s girlfriend, Barbi Agostini, filmed him removing the waterlogged, muddy bills from the safe.
Kane exclaimed on video, recognizing the cash, “Oh, it is! Stacks of bills, dude!”
The couple believes the safe held about $100,000, although the money was partially decayed and clumped.
With no indications of ownership of the safe, they reported their find to the police, who concluded no crime was involved and allowed them to keep the find.
The NYPD stated they couldn’t verify the money’s value or authenticity due to its deteriorated condition.
Other unusual finds by magnet fishers include a skull locked to a dumbbell and a rifle linked to a decade-old crime.
Kane shares his finds on social media, having found bikes, guns, grenades, and jewellery in New York’s waters.
The couple intends to redeem the bills at the Washington Bureau of Engraving and Printing, although some may be irreparable.