New Orleans Fisherman Who Went Magnet Fishing After Hurricane Francine Find Casino Robbery Evidence Worth $50K

After Hurricane Francine, magnet fishermen began exploring canals and bayous to see what they could uncover, and were shocked to find something that could assist the New Orleans Police Department in solving a crime.

Magnet fishermen Bryce Nachtwey and Joseph Harrick couldn't believe what they spotted in a canal off Sheffield Street in New Orleans East.

Nachtwey said "At first, we didn't realize it was an ATM, then we got it out of the water, and we started freaking out. It was the first ATM machine we ever found, so it was just insane."

That wasn't the only thing they discovered; they also uncovered several guns and a safe.

"When we were pulling the safe up, we could see that there were deposit bags in there and then at the bottom, there was a big brick. I turned it over and opened it and it looked like money. We found casino vouchers, and we thought we hit the jackpot, and we were all going to be able to retire," Harrick said.

Nachtey and Harrick claim the casino vouchers totaled nearly $50,000.

Nachtey said, "We were finding $500 tickets, $100 tickets, and there were a ton of tickets."
They quickly realized that the vouchers, the safe, and the ATM all belonged to Carrollton Station Bar and had been stolen during a robbery a few months prior. The fishermen then alerted the NOPD.

The fishermen returned the vouchers and safe to Carrollton Station Bar, which rewarded them with a $400 bar tab.

They use five-pound magnets to find items like ATMs and safes, and these magnets can lift weights of up to 3,500 pounds.