A couple having new trees planted in their back garden were shocked when they discovered gold, diamonds and cash stuffed into a metal box buried in the ground.
Matthew and Maria Emanuel had been trying to replace some trees when the incredible discovery was made on Staten Island. It turned out the large haul of treasure was worth a staggering £38,000. The couple, who have lived in their home for the past four years, were completely unaware of the treasure.
Workers planting the new trees then moved the box and the couple opened it up. There were bags full of diamonds, gold and $100 billsinside the box. Matthew told CBS New York:
‘It was stunning. You dream of a kid that you find buried treasure and it happened, it was unbelievable.’
He explained how the safe contained a piece of paper with an address on it, linked to their neighbours.
Matthew said:
‘I knocked on the door and I asked them if they were ever robbed, and they said they were.’
New York Police Department said a burglary was reported at the address in 2011 and a safe, with $52,000 worth of property inside, was taken. But the neighbours were allegedly told: ‘You’ll never see your stuff again.’
The Emanuels immediately returned the loot to the neighbours, who said they were ‘surprised and ‘grateful’.
When asked why they returned the haul, Maria said:
‘It wasn’t even a question, it wasn’t ours.’
The couple have now put a white statue of an elephant where the safe was found as a reminder of the incredible discovery.
Emeh Achanga,the CEO of the Miss Petite Nigeria Brand is a lawyer turned blogger. She is very passionate about writing, with several publications and awards to her credit .She is currently working on publishing a collection of short stories which are basically a memoir about her exciting true experiences.
