'What are the odds of that?' B.C. teen finds war medals while fishing
At first, Taro Milligan thought he had reeled in a piece of trash.
The little black box covered in duct tape got hooked on his line about two feet from the bank as he was reeling it in.
"I was curious, so I opened it up, and there's a bunch of World War I and II memorabilia," Milligan told CTV News via Zoom on Thursday.
The Grade 11 student at Abbotsford's Robert Bateman Secondary School said he started "freaking out" when he realized what he had picked up.
Milligan said his English teacher recently shared an anecdote with the class about war veterans throwing their medals off of bridges because they don't want to be reminded of past trauma. Now, here he was, fishing with a friend off of Vye Road on a long weekend and possibly looking at the result of just such a story.
"Wow, that just came to reality, like, real fast," he said, explaining what went through his head when he realized what he had found.
"I'm underneath a bridge right now, and there's World War I and II medals right in front of me. That's crazy. What are the odds of that?"
He showed the find to his teachers first, then to the local newspaper, and soon to other media outlets, including CTV News.
While he's heard plenty of interest in the story, he said he hasn't received any tips yet about who might have lost the items.
Milligan said he doesn't actually think the medals were deliberately discarded. The way they were packaged makes him think they were being stored in a garage or a basement, and may have been swept away or stolen during the November 2021 floods.
"I want to find who owns these medals so I can get them back to their family, because I don't think it's right for me to sell them or give them away or keep them myself, anyways," he said. "Nor do I think it's right to put them back where I found them."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
4th Indian national arrested, charged with murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Homicide investigators in B.C. say murder charges have been laid against a fourth Indian national in connection to the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Surrey gurdwara last year.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
Man ticketed after allegedly trespassing again at Drake's Bridle Path mansion to get his bike
A man who tried to access Drake’s Bridle Path mansion earlier this week returned to the property Saturday and was apprehended again for allegedly trespassing, Toronto police say.
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Biden calls Trump 'unhinged,' says 'something snapped' in former president after he lost 2020 U.S. election
U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday called Donald Trump “clearly unhinged” and claimed that “something snapped” in the former president after he lost the 2020 election.
Wildfire that forced evacuation of Fort Nelson, B.C., caused by tree falling on wires, mayor says
The wildfire that prompted the evacuation of more than 3,000 people near Fort Nelson, B.C., was caused by a tree falling on wires, according to the municipality's mayor.
Switzerland's Nemo wins 68th Eurovision Song Contest
Swiss singer Nemo won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday night with 'The Code,' an operatic ode to the singer’s journey toward embracing their nongender identity.
IN PICTURES Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Grand Bend, Collingwood and Guelph, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.