On October 19, Tim Armitstead had a day at Burleigh Beach that took an unexpected turn. While catching a wave, his watch slipped from his wrist and disappeared into the ocean’s depths. “I pulled a decent wave, popped my head up, and the watch was gone,” Armitstead recalled, admitting he thought, “ahh no,” as his prized device vanished.

Remarkably, the watch embarked on an unintended journey, drifting approximately four kilometers north before eventually making landfall weeks later. It finally washed ashore at Nobby Beach, where fate intervened.

The watch was discovered by Gold Coast Councillor Nick Marshall and his daughter, who stumbled upon it during a beach outing. “This Apple Watch just sort of washed up at our feet,” Marshall recounted, reflecting on the surprising find.

Gold Coast Councillor Nick Marshall and his daughter discovered the device.

“This Apple Watch just sort of washed up at our feet,” Marshall said.

Marshall and his daughter charged the watch, revealing a screensaver image of a man and a young child.

“We put that on social media and said, ‘Do you know the owner?’” Marshall said.

After that proved unsuccessful, the community provided a crucial tip.

“The side part of an Apple Watch, if you hold down the medical ID section it comes up with a name,” Marshall said.

“So we were able to track down Tim via that.”

Armitstead was contacted through LinkedIn.

“I get this random message on my LinkedIn,” Armitstead said.

“It just in capital letters said ‘I’ve found your watch’.”

The Apple Watch was returned to Armitstead in working condition.

“Hasn’t missed a beat. Nothing wrong with it at all,” Armitstead said.