Lost treasure awaits beach 'detectorists'

Tim Higginbotham scans a beach near Fort Pierce, Florida, with his metal detector.Metal detectorists travel to beaches to try to find coins or gold jewelryRelics do sometimes wash ashore, but most of the loot slips off the bodies of beachgoersSkyrocketing price of gold has more people than ever interested in the hobbyGoing to big tourist beaches can boost chances of good finds, veteran detectorists say

(CNN) -- Most people heading to the seashore bring along sunscreen, colorful towels and a big umbrella. For others, the ultimate beach accessory is a metal detector.

You've probably seen them during your trips to any coast -- sweeping the gadget back and forth along the water, ears covered by big headphones, eyes scanning the sand -- and wondered what exactly they're looking for.

Meet the detectorists, as the community of hobbyists is known.

You'll return from a day at the beach with a tan and some pretty sea shells. They're hoping to bring back something more lucrative. Gold, anyone?

This treasure hunt may evoke romantic images of shipwreck relics washing up ashore, and that does sometimes happen. But more often than not, the loot simply slips off the bodies of modern-day beachgoers.

"If you have people who are swimming, you're going to have gold in the water," said Dan Berg, an avid detectorist and author of "Beach and Water Treasure Hunting with Metal Detectors."

"The more swimmers there are, the more gold there's going to be."

It's the perfect setup, when you think about it.

Most vacationers cover themselves liberally with suntan lotion and bake under the sun, so their hands swell.

Then, when they go to cool off in the water, their fingers shrink. And since they've already been "pre-lubricated" by the sunscreen, rings can slide right off, Berg said. Waves and currents help nudge accessories off, too.

It's probably one of the only pastimes that pays for itself.
--Dan Berg, detectorist

The promise of such orphaned jewelry, or "drops," has always made beaches an alluring destination for detectorists, but the skyrocketing price of gold in recent years has more people than ever interested in the hobby.

(In case you're wondering whether the treasure hunters feel bad about keeping other people's stuff, the answer is pretty much no. There's usually no way to know how long the items have been lost or how to track down the owners. But in the rare instances they can identify them, most say they're glad to return the valuables.)

Beachcomber stumbles upon historic wreck

In search of 'bling'

Want to get in on the action? There's real money at stake, so there is a sense of secrecy, caution and reluctance when you ask veteran detectorists for a lot of specifics.

But most advise newbies to start with the big tourist beaches first to increase the odds of finding something valuable. Think Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Atlantic City, New Jersey; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Venice Beach, California, and the like.

Then, there's Miami's South Beach.

"That's a flashy place, and it also has a lot of people who like to party. They get out there with their bling and they turn cartwheels and get drunk and do all kinds of foolish things," said Tim Higginbotham, who has been beach metal detecting for 25 years.

"Miami is an ideal place to come up with a Rolex watch or a good diamond ring or something like that. You can find a lot of stuff down there on South Beach."

Veteran detectorists advise spending $200 to $500 for your first metal detector. A good one will "see" about a foot under the sand.

Consider what kind of detector you want to use: There are machines for use on land only and machines that allow you to wade into the water.

Going into the water can yield better results because there will be less junk than on a dry beach where people throw away bottle caps, etc., said veteran detectorist Dan Berg.

Go early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid the crowds, said veteran detectorist Amy Maruso.

Be prepared for a workout. Maruso's typical outing lasts five hours, which includes lots of walking and digging.

Detecting after a storm that erodes the beach or moves the sand can boost your chances of finding something valuable.

Have lots of patience. It takes time to learn where the good items are, so you'll probably find lots of trash at first, said veteran detectorist Tim Higginbotham.

Going to any popular beach after a big holiday, like the Fourth of July, can also yield more finds because so many people flock to the shore to relax and celebrate, Higginbotham said.

The detectorist has found his share of gold over the years, some of which he has sold and some of which he keeps in a safety deposit box.

He mostly hunts along the beaches near his home in Fort Pierce, Florida, on the state's Treasure Coast -- so called because of the Spanish ships full of silver and gold that shipwrecked in the area almost 300 years ago.

Here, relics sometimes do show up, including Higginbotham's favorite finds: a religious medallion from the Nieves, a sunken Spanish treasure galleon, and a 1714 gold coin.

Eccentric image

Be aware that you'll find lots of junk before you stumble onto anything valuable, warned Amy Maruso, who lives in suburban Philadelphia and likes to treasure hunt on the beaches of northern New Jersey. The hobby has consumed her for 30 years and she carefully studies winds, moon phases and tides to plan her outings for maximum payoff.

Maruso recently cashed in some of the gold she's found for $1,300, she said. But she also doesn't scoff at loose change -- which can add up -- so she likes to go to any beach that has a boardwalk, where people are likely to carry a lot of coins for parking meters, amusement rides and food.

The sight of detectorists scooping up change from the sand sometimes prompts laughs from other beach goers, Maruso said. Bud Light even made an ad mocking "Mr. Beach Metal Detector Guy" as part of its popular "Real Men of Genius" series.

The hobby has an eccentric image, Maruso agreed. Her most memorable encounter while metal detecting on a beach took place with a homeless man who asked her for money.

"He looked at my scoop and he said, 'Oh, never mind, I see you have to scrounge for change too,'" Maruso recalled with a chuckle.

Her favorite find so far has been a "large cent" minted in the United States in 1794.

The hobby can be so addictive that detectorists often pack their metal detectors whenever they travel to any destination with a beach. Berg has brought it to Bermuda and the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas. Higginbotham usually finds enough change to pay for some meals when he vacations in the Caribbean.

"The beauty of metal detecting is that almost anybody can do it, and you can do it at different levels and intensities," Berg said. "It's probably one of the only pastimes that pays for itself."

Resources

Interested in finding out more? The Internet offers lots of advice, including sites such as the Treasure Coast Beach Report and GoMetalDetecting.com. You can see what valuables others have found on forums, including TreasureNet.com and MyTreasureSpot.com.

Metal detecting often isn't allowed on beaches that are state parks, so check out guidance from the Federation of Metal Detector and Archaeological Clubs.

If you want to limit your searches to beaches near shipwrecks, there are online guides to sunken ships along the coasts of Florida; the Outer Banks of North Carolina (known as the "Graveyard of the Atlantic"); and New England.

CNN

Yemen awaits possible Saleh return after surgery (Reuters)

By Mohammed Ghobari and Mohammed Mukhashaf Mohammed Ghobari And Mohammed Mukhashaf – 1 hr 52 mins ago

SANAA/ADEN (Reuters) – Loyalists to wounded President Ali Abdullah Saleh celebrated reports that he would soon return to Yemen, but opponents said they were working to ensure that, even if he does, he will no longer be in power.

U.S. and Yemeni officials have said Saleh, 69, was burned on 40 percent of his body in a rocket or bomb attack at his palace last Friday -- injuries which, depending on the depth of wounds, could be fatal and would probably curb his ability to rule.

Saleh, who has ruled Yemen for three decades, has not been seen since being flown for surgery to Saudi Arabia.

But after months of factional violence and pro-democracy protests, he has resisted Western and Arab pressure to step down and a government website dismissed dire assessments of Saleh's condition, said his injuries were minor and announced on Thursday that preparations for his return were under way.

"He has overcome the health difficulties after successful surgery to remove shrapnel ... Sources expected him to return soon after completing his recovery and treating some light surface burns," the government website 26 September said.

Opposition figures said their main concern was for Saleh to transfer his powers, regardless of whether he returned.

Even before the wave of pro-democracy protests, Saleh was struggling to quell a separatist rebellion in the south and a Shi'ite insurgency in the north.

TRANSFERRING POWER

Mohammed al-Mutawakkil of the coalition of opposition parties said the opposition had informed Saleh's ruling General People's Congress party on Wednesday that it would seek to establish its own transitional assembly after one week if action was not taken on transferring power to his deputy, Ab-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who was named acting president on June 4.

"More important than Saleh's return is that the ruling party transfers power and begins implementing the Gulf initiative," he said, referring to a Gulf Arab plan for Saleh to begin a power transfer which stalled in the days before he was wounded.

Political analyst Ali Seif Hassan said he was not convinced by state media reports that Saleh was about to come back but said that his return could help cement a new order.

"I'm not worried if he comes back since the important thing is that he signs an agreement to transfer power, whether he does that in Sanaa or Riyadh," he said.

The Yemeni government website said preparations were being made around the country to welcome back Saleh, who wavered between accepting Arab and international calls for him to step down and accusing his opponents of staging a coup.

Army units and supporters were heard in many areas of the capital Sanaa firing shots in the air overnight in celebration and the General People's Congress said it would organize a "Friday of Loyalty" demonstration after Friday prayers.

The site described statements by U.S. and Yemeni officials that Saleh's health was in a dire state as fabrications, saying he was being treated for burns to his face and had had shrapnel removed from his chest.

WEST ALARMED

The volatile situation in a country that lies on oil shipping lanes alarms Western nations and neighboring oil giant Saudi Arabia, who fear the chaos could give al Qaeda freer rein to establish itself in the impoverished mountain state.

More than 40 percent of Yemenis live on less than $2 a day while a third face chronic hunger. Dwindling water and oil supplies are also problems.

A ceasefire has held in Sanaa since Saleh left, after more than 200 people were killed and thousands fled over two weeks in clashes between Saleh loyalists and the forces of tribal leader Sheikh Sadeq al-Ahmar, who backs the protesters.

Many government ministries are not functioning as staff stay away and the city is suffering from cuts in electricity, fuel and water supplies, while fighting rages in the southern town of Zinjibar where Islamist militants have taken over.

Some of Saleh's opponents have accused the president of deliberately allowing al Qaeda militants to take over Zinjibar, capital of Abyan province, to demonstrate the security risks if he were to lose power.

A government statement said on Thursday 12 members of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula had died in clashes, including some leading figures.

Health officials and residents described dire scenes in Zinjibar this week, as dead bodies were left on the streets and wild dogs roamed. Once home to more than 50,000 people, now it is a ghost town without power or running water.

Yemen's state news agency Saba said on Thursday the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees had begun the process of offering humanitarian aid to 10,000 people fleeing the Abyan province after the attacks from al Qaeda.

Saudi's state news agency quoted a Yemeni health ministry official as saying he estimated the number of people fleeing Abyan to be as high as 20,000.

There has been no word from Western powers, regional allies and Yemeni opposition parties on any efforts to take advantage of Saleh's absence to move toward implementing the Gulf Arab peace initiative -- by which Saleh was to step down one month after allowing a new opposition-led cabinet to be formed.

The U.N.'s World Food Programme (WFP) said Yemenis are going hungry as the fighting disrupts food supplies and pushes up the price of gas, water, fuel and other basic commodities.

(Additional reporting by Asma Alsharif and Shaimaa Fayed; Writing by Andrew Hammond; Editing by Philippa Fletcher and Jonathan Lynn)

Yahoo! News

Mississippi town awaits record flood

Vicksburg, Mississippi (CNN) -- Nervous anticipation. That is the feeling permeating through Vicksburg, Mississippi, as it awaits a historic flood crest to wash through the area later this week.

The Mississippi River, already at record levels, is forecast to peak early Thursday more than a foot over the record set in the city in 1927.

As the waters rise, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is keeping a watchful eye on the Yazoo Backwater Levee.

"Once we hit the crest on the 19th, it's not over," Henry Dulaney with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers told CNN affiliate WLBT-TV. "Water is going to be on the levee for another month. And so everything that we've told people, they need to be wary of that for another month, month and a half."

The persistant danger means days off are canceled for Vicksburg police officers.

"We're now finding ourselves having to blanket this city with an added number of officers," Chief Walter Armstrong told WLBT. "Don't walk through it, don't drive through it, and we encourage parents to not allow their children play near or around the floodwaters."

Downstream in Vidalia, Louisiana, residents and officials tried to counter flooding from the rising Mississippi by stacking large containers two- and three-high around riverfront properties.

The U.S. Coast Guard reopened a section of the river there Tuesday that it had closed to prevent damage to levees from passing barges.

But officials said only one tow vessel at a time will be allowed to pass through the 15-mile area near Vidalia and Natchez, Mississippi. And they warned they could shut the waterway again if water levels rise to 62.5 feet.

"We will continue to closely monitor transits through the area to ensure the safety of the communities, as well as the towing vessels and their crews," Coast Guard Capt. Michael Gardiner said in a statement.

Vidalia Mayor Hyram Copeland told CNN's "John King USA" the prospect of flooding was a devastating threat in a city that relies on its Mississippi River waterfront and now faces the prospect of extensive infrastructure repairs.

"It's a lifeline of our communities. ... Sometimes it tells you, 'Hey, you think you have me controlled. Let me show you. ... Hopefully, one of these days we can control it a little bit more than we have, but it's the mighty Mississippi," he said.

The river drew to within a finger's length of the highest level recorded at Greenville, Mississippi, Tuesday as the flood continued to slink its way to the Gulf of Mexico.

Levees along the length of the river appeared to be holding and water diverted through spillways seemed to be rising more slowly than expected, but Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal warned residents there's plenty that could go wrong.

"There's still an awful lot of water headed our way, and it's going to be here in many cases for weeks, not just a few days," he said.

Louisiana officials Tuesday issued advice to residents in flood-impacted areas on how to prevent snake encounters and bites.

Of the 22 species within the Morganza Spillway, three -- the copperhead, cottonmouth and canebrake rattler -- are venomous.

Officials said the spillway gates are likely to be open for weeks, and it will be weeks before the river falls below flood stage and those who have evacuated can safely return.

In Vidalia, two medical facilities, a hotel and the city's conference and convention center are being protected by temporary flood control barriers, said city spokeswoman Sheri Rabb.

Despite the canceling of convention meetings for May and June, people in the coastal city are going about their daily routine, Rabb said.

"We're big-time open for business," she said.

Sandbags are keeping water out of the convention center, Rabb said Tuesday afternoon, but water covers parking lots and other portions of the riverfront. "We hope to reopen by the end of June."

The city's water supply is thought to be in good shape.

The U.S. Coast Guard reported river closures Tuesday near Berwick and Morgan City, Louisiana, and at Bayou Chene, where workers submerged a barge to divert floodwaters into wetlands and away from populated areas.

In Mississippi, 4,937 people have been displaced by flooding so far, said Jeff Rent, a spokesman for the state Emergency Management Agency.

In Louisiana, more than 4,000 people had evacuated, Jindal said, citing figures compiled by parish authorities. But, he said, no shelters have been opened in the state.

By the weekend, floodwaters also are expected to peak at record levels in Natchez, Mississippi, as well as in Red River Landing and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, according to the weather service.

For the first time in its history, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has opened three floodways, one in Missouri and two in Louisiana, to ease pressure on levees along the length of the river and reduce the possibility of devastating flooding in highly populated areas.

The flood is the most significant to hit the lower Mississippi River valley since at least 1937 and has so far affected nine states: Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.

Despite the misery and destruction, some residents in flooded areas are trying to make the best of a bad situation.

"You know I always wanted to fish off my front porch, but I never wanted to do it this way," former Poinsett County, Arkansas, Judge Doyle Hillis told CNN affiliate KAIT-TV in the community of Weona. "We've had a lot of laughs over it, but we've had a lot of sad minutes."

Hillis, who has lived in Weona for 66 years, said he would have never thought the water could get that high.

While he wasn't able to land a big catch, he said the fishing helps to keep his mind off the devastation.

"It's going to be a crying shame when the water goes down and they're actually going to see the damage they are going to have," Hillis said.

CNN's John King, Ed Lavandera, Martin Savidge, Ed Payne, Ashley Hayes, Ben Smith and Dave Alsup contributed to this report.

CNN

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