An iPhone accidentally dumped in a lake in Taiwan was recovered a year later, after the biggest drought in more than 50 years dropped the water line enough to see it.
In March 2020, a man identified on the Facebook group of Bao Fei 1 commune as “Chen” lost his iPhone 11 Pro Max while paddling in Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan. The man was carrying the iPhone in a waterproof plastic bag around his neck, but lost it after falling into the water several times.
At the moment, Taiwanese news reports that a friend was optimistic, telling the man that he would review the iPhone “in a year”.
In early April, Chen was informed that his iPhone had been found. The varnish was dry enough for the iPhone and the bag to be easily visible on the dry lacquer bed.
Enduring what is believed to have been the worst drought in Taiwan for over 50 years, it was a rare opportunity for the lake to dry enough to see the iPhone in its location. Residents told the man that the water had not completely receded between the ages of 50 and 60.
Shortly after Chen retrieved his iPhone, the water returned to the lake.
While the waterproof bag was heavily soiled, the iPhone itself was apparently perfectly intact. After recharging, Chen said that all the functions of the iPhone were normal.
“I can only say that the waterproof case for the iPhone is really great. It has no water in it,” Chen told the publication. “I’m so happy I got my iPhone back after losing so much time.”
Over the years, there have been numerous stories about people recovering iPhones lost in bodies of water and for long periods of time.
In late March, a woman recovered her iPhone from a frozen lake in Saskatchewan after losing it for 30 days, fully functional after being rescued with a magnet. In early March, a diver found an iPhone 11 at the bottom of a British Columbia lake after nearly six months of diving.
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