'Copper' load of that - sports watch floats from Wales to Waterford

There was a surprise in store for one well known Waterford resident when he spotted a Garmin sports watch on a beach along the Copper Coast.

The device in question had made it all the way from Tenby, in Wales, a trip of around 300km across the Celtic Sea.

Sean Corcoran, (aka: The Art Hand), made the find on April 26 and commenting to the Waterford News & Star he said he found the watch still attached to an inflated buoyancy aid on a remote part of the Copper Coast shoreline.

The story of the drifting Garmin made the BBC news which reported that Martina became disconnected from the aid while in the sea at her local beach in Tenby, on April 2. Ms Morgan, who is originally from South Africa, was swimming with friends when she noticed her Garmin watch, secured to a floating device, had come loose. The BBC reported that she initially thought about swimming out after it but her friends persuaded her to let it go. However, much to her surprise and delight she got a call three weeks later from Sean who had discovered her device in Ladies Cove on the Copper Coast. Ms Morgan told the BBC that the watch was a Christmas present from her husband and she resigned herself to never seeing it again. However, fate intervened. Sean said he had to climb down the cliff to get the watch: "I was curious as to where it came from. It was a bit like a message in a bottle."

When Sean got home he pressed a button on the watch and the recharge symbol came on so at that point he knew it was still working: "I was surprised it had only been three weeks in the water because it looked like it had been a long time in the sun. I'm really thrilled to have located the owner."

Speaking about Ms Morgan's decision not to try and retrieve it from the water when she realised it was drifting away, Sean said: "She made the right decision not to try retrieve the aid as it drifted from her. Thankfully, she was able to make it safely back ashore and her lost items embarked on a three week epic solo voyage."

Sean said that when he charged the watch he found Ms Morgan's number and a barcode on it: "I shared photos of it online and it turned out that what I thought was a reference number was in fact a UK mobile number."

Sean said he was then delighted to be able to contact Ms Morgan and her husband, Ed.

"The watch will be making a return journey but this time in an envelope," he said.