During our last installment, I told you about a box containing old photos and cremains, which had washed ashore on Pavilion Beach in Gloucester, MA. I had eagerly called the man who had written up the story for the web site of CAPS - Cape Ann Paranormal Society.
Within an hour or two, he called me back. I was on fire, ready to delve into solving this case.
Imagine my disappointment when I learned that the mystery had been solved - about three years ago!
Actually, it was a bit of a no-brainer. The name of the decedent, a man from Vermont, was right on the box - as well as the name of the funeral home which had cremated him. Gloucester Police called the establishment, which returned the box to the family.
Apparently, they had decided to cast his ashes onto the ocean - from a boat, I'm assuming. However, they left the cremains inside the box - probably because they wanted those pictures to stay with him. (I wonder if the infant depicted him as a child - or perhaps it was his child, lost too young?)
The ending to the story had already been written, but that doesn't mean there's not a punch line here.
After telling me the story, the CAPS member said to me, "It's so weird that you should call today. I haven't thought of that box in a while. Just last night, I was walking along that beach with my daughter, and she said, 'Dad, isn't that where you found that box with the ashes inside'?"
As far as I know, this macabre package has not washed up again. This time, hopefully, the family took the ashes out of the box before casting them into the sea - and saved the precious pictures for themselves.
Within an hour or two, he called me back. I was on fire, ready to delve into solving this case.
Imagine my disappointment when I learned that the mystery had been solved - about three years ago!
Actually, it was a bit of a no-brainer. The name of the decedent, a man from Vermont, was right on the box - as well as the name of the funeral home which had cremated him. Gloucester Police called the establishment, which returned the box to the family.
Apparently, they had decided to cast his ashes onto the ocean - from a boat, I'm assuming. However, they left the cremains inside the box - probably because they wanted those pictures to stay with him. (I wonder if the infant depicted him as a child - or perhaps it was his child, lost too young?)
The ending to the story had already been written, but that doesn't mean there's not a punch line here.
After telling me the story, the CAPS member said to me, "It's so weird that you should call today. I haven't thought of that box in a while. Just last night, I was walking along that beach with my daughter, and she said, 'Dad, isn't that where you found that box with the ashes inside'?"
As far as I know, this macabre package has not washed up again. This time, hopefully, the family took the ashes out of the box before casting them into the sea - and saved the precious pictures for themselves.
Nice story. Good Harbor is one my favorite beaches, we used to go there a lot when I was little and we lived in Beverly. I have cousins who live near there.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting story.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading, Yvette!
ReplyDeleteEntertaining to read, I wonder who is the owner of those cremains.
ReplyDeleteashes at sea