Couple finds $100,000 while magnet fishing in NYC

CORONA, Queens (WPIX) - A leisure day of magnet fishing at Corona Park in Queens, New York, became a life-changing moment for a local couple who discovered a safe with an estimated $100,000 inside.

For James Kane and Barbi Agostini, magnet fishing has been a hobby that's bonded the couple for nearly a year. They got the idea to try magnet fishing during the COVID-19 pandemic and have since chronicled their journey on their YouTube channel -- called Let's Get Magnetic -- where they showcase an array of finds, from handguns to grenades.

"We found one grenade in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn," Kane said. "We found one across from the United Nations building in Gantry Plaza State Park...Firearms all over the entire five boroughs."

Little did they know their casual pastime would lead them to the discovery of a lifetime. The two spent Friday afternoon magnet fishing at Corona Park's Meadow Lake. After about 45 minutes of throwing the magnet back and forth into the water, Kane felt a heavy tug and managed to haul up an old, rusted safe from the murky depths.

It wasn't the first time they had found an old safe, and they assumed there would be nothing inside, which they were used to finding.

"It looked sealed, but I found a hole in the bottom, so I started banging it on the floor, and I thought there were baggies in there where you would put like change or something like that," said Kane.

Agostini said she thought Kane was playing a prank on her when he told her there were stacks of dollar bills inside.

"Until I saw it for myself, and he peeled back the dollars, and I saw the hundred dollars, that's when I finally believed him, and I just gasped," Agostini said.

The couple estimates that the stacks of cash covered in sludge are worth up to $100,000. They contacted the New York Police Department, who told them they could keep the money since there was no serial number on the safe and no way to identify the owner.

They now plan to take the deteriorated money to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington, D.C., to start the currency redemption process. With their newfound wealth, the two hope to fulfill a lifelong dream of buying a home for their family of five in New York City.