DAVIS COUNTY, Utah — A pair of treasure hunters, who were looking for Utah’s big cash prize of $20,000 tucked away in the mountains, stumbled across something that ended up being priceless to those who buried it 36 years ago.
“We loved looking in there and reading everything,” said Kevin Richard, who located a time capsule this weekend near Francis Peak in Davis County. "It was awesome."
Richard and his brother-in-law Troy Thompson were looking for the coveted treasure when they noticed an area with rocks near a tree that seemed odd to them. Thompson found the time capsule, a black pipe with caps on each end, hidden under the rocks.
READ: Trio of Utahns find $20,000 treasure in Ogden area
“When we opened it up at the car, it felt like just a scene out of the movies,” said Thompson. "We just opened a bottle of treasure, only it happened to be not only cash, but a treasure full of memories.”
Inside were coins, pictures, letters and old certificates from adventures dating back to 1986. The documents had names on them, which is how Thompson and Richards were able to track down some of the original owners of the memories and ultimately the group who buried the capsule.
Members of Boy Scout Troop 6210 from West Valley City buried the time capsule in 1986 and went back a few times to add items until 1994.
“I honestly don’t remember even doing it,” said Troy Orton, who revisited the time capsule site in 1994. “I don’t know if I went by myself, I don’t know if I had other people with me.”
Orton, joined by fellow Troop 6210 member Patrick Packer and former Scoutmaster Lyle Olsen, met in Bountiful on Monday to look at the capsule uncovered by Thompson and Richard.
“It brings back all the adventures that we had as a troop as mostly just friends,” said Packer.
The items and memories were distributed among the group.
Richard said he didn’t want any of the items and intended to find their rightful owners.
