Diver Looking For Owner Of Crashed Drone Found Near Rainbow Bridge
FOLSOM (CBS13) — A broken quadcopter was found under the Rainbow Bridge by a diver, and he's sharing the video to help find the rightful owner.
It was a bird's-eye view of one of the region's most beautiful bridges. Then it all comes crashing down.
"Basically, it's about a $1,200 error into the water," said Jim Nichelmann. "So that was an expensive day for him."
He was diving last Sunday when he and a friend stumbled on the DSI Phantom Drone on a rock.
"We've found lots of things, but this is a first," he said.
The memory card revealed the fateful plunge took place eight months ago. The video also shows the man behind the plane with controls in hand.
"In the last two days, I've had a few friends at the Capitol say you might have a problem with this. I don't know. It's new to me," he said.
A California State Parks official tells CBS13 drone use is banned at all of its parks. But they say the original owner would likely not get in trouble. While the state parks follow the National Park Service's policies, there are no signs warning people against drone use. Park rangers typically don't write any type of citation. Instead, they use any incident to educate people about the rules.
For Nichelmann, the focus is on making sure his home base attempt takes one final flight.
"It's available if he's ready for it back," he said.
He believes the GoPro camera attached to the drone is ruined, but says the drone itself can likely be salvaged.
If you're the owner of the drone or have information about the owner, contact CBS13 and we'll connect you with Nichelmann.
