Chen Yu, 31, from Shangqiu City in central China's Henan Province, received an unusual delivery package on Wednesday – the mobile phone he lost last month while visiting the scenic Thai island of Phuket.
He accidentally dropped the phone in the ocean during a speed boat trip. In the most unlikely of circumstances, another Chinese tourist, also from Henan, happened to find it when diving there at the same time.
"Since I was in a foreign country, I knew nobody there to ask for help. Not to mention the water was too deep to take a chance," Chen said to local media Dahe.cn.
Giving up any hope of getting his old phone back, Chen renewed the SIM card upon his return to China. Almost forgetting this regrettable experience, he was surprised when he got a phone call from someone named Zhao Jia.
Zhao had recovered Chen's mobile phone.
When Zhao found the device, he reached out to several tour groups trying to find its original owner. The Good Samaritan even carried the phone with him in case it rang. He could not unlock the phone, but after Chen deactivated the original card, his phone number showed up on the screen.
"I'm so surprised to retrieve my phone. There are many valuable customer data and photos in my phone. I really appreciate Zhao's good deeds," Chen said. In order to express gratitude, he offered money as a thank you to Zhao, who however refused to accept.
Last year, a recently married Chinese couple managed to recover a mobile phone they lost in sea near the Mariana Islands which was also found by a diving tourist.
