The Lake Giveth and the Lake Taketh

Lakes can be treasure troves of lost and found items. Sometimes their waters give up their treasures freely and other times lakes can be selfish and keep everything for themselves.

After a storm or whenever we would lose an item, my oldest son, Rob, would always say, “The lake giveth and the lake taketh.”

Any time an item couldn’t be found, no matter the reason, the lake usually catches the blame. Never mind that the kids didn’t secure the item (notice how it is usually the kids’ fault), or that the wind blew all day, or that something just floated away for whatever reason, the lake is always to blame for lost items.

Most items are usually recovered just a couple docks down, however some major things like boats, Jet Skis, diving platforms and other larger items end up in the middle of the lake. If we are lucky, no one runs into these, they cause no damage and we can count our blessings.

THE “TAKETH”

Everyone who has ever spent time on a lake has probably lost something to it or, on the other hand, found something that it had swallowed up. Other than fish and normal vegetation, over the years I can recall floaties, life vests, skis, buoys, boats, paddles, keys, wallets, purses, kayaks, bobbers and other fishing tackle, squirt guns, Sea-Doos, diving rafts, koozies, furniture, paddles, sunglasses, toys, ropes, hats and other clothing, and the usual trash, just to name a few things. The strangest was a deer… yes, a deer. I am still wondering why no one claimed that!

THE “GIVETH”

What the lake “giveth” is just as strange as what it “taketh.” It doesn’t matter what it is, my usual exclamation is “Honey, look what floated up!”

This always leads to my wife’s questions, for which I have no answers: “Who owns that? Did it come clear across the lake?” The good stuff, like the time an eight- by eight-foot diving raft with slide and ladder showed up, always prompts the same question from the kids: “Can we keep it?”

These questions always trigger my thoughts of, “This is nice or that cost a pretty penny. I hope someone claims it.” Throughout the summer, this is a progressive ritual.

DOING THE LOST AND FOUND

Much of the smaller stuff the lake “giveth” goes to the trash, but what about the good stuff? The larger stuff either directly or indirectly becomes my issue. Every lake and every laker has this problem at one time or another. So, what do you do?

Medium or large items should be put on the end of the dock or in another visible area, in hopes that the owners will spot them and retrieve them. Touch base with your neighbors and post the found items on your lake’s Facebook and lake association website. For larger items like boats and swim docks, secure them as well as possible and then contact the non-emergency line of your local law enforcement agency with a description and any identifying numbers.

Then wait. And then wait some more. Usually, the ritual continues for a certain amount of time with questions like, “Why hasn’t anyone claimed it?” Beats me, but what I do know is, sooner or later, it is up to me to dispose of it. My experience has been that most unclaimed items will lie on the beach all summer, unused. Eventually, they find their way to the back room or storage, only to go to their final fate of being put out by the road or given away.

If you lose something, try to retrieve it as soon as possible. If you find something, display it, list it and re-list it again. Remember: The next time you look for something at the lake and it can’t be found, it just could be the lake’s fault.

DON’T LET THE LAKE TAKETH

There is almost always wind at the lake. The lake is always moving. The lake is always looking to take and give. So secure all items , make sure boats, docks and all other things on the water are securely tied. Don’t leave items unsecured on land, either, or they will most likely end up on the lake.

Have you found items on your shore? Have you lost something? Do you have an interesting story about items lost or found at the lake? Send me your stories and photos. Submit online at lake-access.com.

Remember, “The lake giveth and the lake taketh!”