A Mississippi Coast woman saw “the good side of Facebook” in action this week after a Good Samaritan found a phone she lost during a Memorial Day trip to Horn Island.
Erin Skags, of Gulfport, was on the island last Monday when her iPhone disappeared.
“I assumed it was a lost cause … got a new phone Tuesday,” she said Sunday on Facebook.
Six days later, however, a Biloxi man out on Horn Island found the phone underwater and decided to see if it still worked.
Cody Lowe shared a photo of the home’s lock screen, which features a photo of Skaggs and her husband, on Facebook and it was shared hundreds of times.
“He plugged it in, and IT TURNED ON at 5:03 pm (Sunday),” Skags said. By 5:30, Skags had her phone back in her possession.
Even though Skaggs had already gotten a new phone, she was able to save all of her photos she “thought were lost forever.”
The fact that the iPhone that Lowe found is still operational is extraordinary — while all Apple phones past the iPhone 7 model are water resistant, most only last after being submerged for about 30 minutes. Skaggs’ phone was on Horn Island for nearly a week.
“Thank you Cody Lowe! Thank you to everyone who messaged me to tell me! And thanks Apple for making water proof phones!!” she posted.
Horn Island is a popular boating destination off the Mississippi Coast near Ocean Springs and Gautier.
Justin Mitchell is the Sun Herald senior news editor and works on McClatchy’s audience engagement and development team. He also reports on LGBTQ issues in the Deep South, particularly focusing on Mississippi.
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