East Lothian magnet fisherman has busy week returning lost belongings to their owners

A Musselburgh magnet fisherman has had a busy week finding lost items in the murky waters and returning them to their owners.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

James Pearson - who runs the Musselburgh Magnet Fishing group - came to the rescue when a local resident named Karin recently had her electric bike stolen.

Thieves grabbed the e-bike from her home but were unable to break the security chain and dumped it into the town’s River Esk.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

James was contacted by a local community group and asked if he could help out after the bike was spotted in the river near to the town’s Goose Green area.

Keys found and returned: James Pearson and Graham McShane With Veronika BaxterKeys found and returned: James Pearson and Graham McShane With Veronika Baxter
Keys found and returned: James Pearson and Graham McShane With Veronika Baxter

The intrepid fisherman sprang into action and he was soon able to recover the bike along with an abandoned grass strimmer and a supermarket trolley.

James then managed to track down the owner and reunite her with beloved electric bicycle.

James, who lives in the town, posted the news on social media along with a picture of a delighted Karin with her electric bike.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said: “Remember the electric bike I pulled from the Esk at the start of the week. Well good news - I’ve managed to reunite it with its very happy owner.

The stolen e-Bike had been dumped in the water - until James rescued itThe stolen e-Bike had been dumped in the water - until James rescued it
The stolen e-Bike had been dumped in the water - until James rescued it

“A big thank you to the good folks at Musselburgh Folks and Musselburgh Streetclean for allowing me to post on their groups and find the owner.

“On a side note I removed the trolley at the wooden bridge and returned it to Tesco. All in an evening’s work.”

He added: “I was very happy to return the bike to Karin on Thursday.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I’m very proud to live in Musselburgh and happy to help keep its river clear of debris and if possible return possessions back to their rightful owners.”

Delighted owner is reunited with her stolen e-BikeDelighted owner is reunited with her stolen e-Bike
Delighted owner is reunited with her stolen e-Bike

James, who has also been in the news recently after pulling several weapons from the Union Canal in Edinburgh, also managed to find a set of keys that were lost when owner Veronika Baxter fell into the canal last week.

He and friend Graham McShane spotted Ms Baxter’s online plea for help and after dredging the canal with their magnets the pair eventually brought the set of keys to the surface and handed them back to their relieved owner.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.