He Lost His Wallet
When Hunter Shamatt noticed that he had lost his wallet, it was really a bummer. And he for sure didn't expect to get it back: he left it in a plane, and God only knew where that plane would be now.
Not that he was surprised: he had always been a forgetful kid, and similar things had happened to him before. But this time was different.
He Had Something In There
He kept important things in there. Even crucial things. And losing them would have major consequences that he wasn't prepared for.
And he spent the next few days racking his brains, trying to come up with a solution to his loss. But somehow, he got his wallet back. And when he looked inside, what he saw left him amazed.
Good Samaritans
It's a cold world out there, no doubt about it: for the most part, people are too busy with their own lives and problems to care about anyone else's. And when you lose something valuable, you rarely expect to get it back.
But there are some good samaritans left. Some people care enough to take the effort and return what someone might have lost. And they do so even if it gets hard, difficult, and costly. This is one of those stories.
On His Way To His Sister’s Wedding
Hunter had been getting ready for that trip for weeks. He was heading from his hometown in South Dakota to Las Vegas to attend his sister's wedding.
The whole family was going to be there, and he was really excited. He had made sure to bring everything he needed with him, including some important stuff that he kept in his wallet. Little did he know that the trip was about to get disrupted by an unexpected incident.
He Fell Asleep
After getting through the airport security and he found himself finally sitting on the plane, he felt relieved. In just a few hours, he would be in Las Vegas, meeting with all the family and enjoying himself for a weekend.
He was so tired from the preparations for the trip that he fell asleep shortly after the plane took off. And that's when the problems started.
The Flight Finally Landed
He spent the whole flight sleeping. And he only woke up when everyone was getting ready to get out of the plane. Quickly, he grabbed his bags and walked towards the stairs.
His family was waiting for him at the airport, and he felt really happy to see them. Due to the pandemic situation, he hadn't seen his sister for months. There were some cousins too that he hadn't seen in years. They all went to a restaurant to celebrate the reunion. And it was then that Hunter noticed that something was wrong.
Where Was His Wallet?
He didn't have his wallet with him! How could that be? He recalled all his steps prior to going to the restaurant. Maybe it had fallen out of his pocket on his way there. If that were so, maybe he could walk his way back and hopefully find it somewhere in the street.
Right after dinner, he asked his relatives for permission to walk his way back to the airport to see if he could find his wallet somewhere. But he didn't have luck. And suddenly, another possibility crossed his mind.
Maybe It Was On The Plane?
Or maybe he had just left it on the plane. That possibility spooked Hunter to no end. Who knew where that plane would be now? Hunter felt devastated. How could that happen?
Not only did he keep his personal identity documents in that wallet. There was also his debit card and some cash to spend during his weekend in Las Vegas. And most importantly, there was another thing.
He Had A Paycheck There
He kept a signed paycheck in his wallet, and he really needed it. The deadlines for paying his student loan and some car bills were right around the corner, and he was relying on that check to pay for them.
What could he do? He spent his whole weekend in Las Vegas thinking of a possible solution and regretting his forgetfulness. But his luck was about to take a turn.
A Mysterious Message
A few weeks after the incident, he received a text message through Facebook. It was a man claiming to have his wallet. At first, he thought it would be a scam and ignored the message.
But some days after that, he received a package through mail. It was his wallet! And when he opened it, he found something that was really a surprise.
There Was A Surprise!
There was more money in his wallet than there was when he lost it! He couldn't believe it. And when he took a longer look, he noticed there was also a handwritten note.
"Hunter, Found this on a Frontier flight from Omaha to Denver — row 12, seat F wedged between the seat and wall. Thought you might want it back. All the best…PS. I rounded your cash up to an even $100 so you could celebrate getting your wallet back. Have fun!!!"
But Who Sent It?
But the note was unsigned. Who could have been that good samaritan? Hunter immediately told his mom about what happened. And she decided to publish a post on her Facebook page.
In the post, she thanked whoever had returned the wallet and encouraged them to reach out so they could thank him for his good deed. And soon enough, that person reached out.
Who Was It?
It was a man who called himself Todd Brown. He was a father of five, and he and his wife had spent days looking through Facebook in order to contact Hunter.
It was him the one who found the wallet, sent the message and mailed the wallet. Soon, Brown was contacted by the media so he could share his version of the story. This is what he said:
Todd Brown’s Declarations
"I thought about giving it to the flight crew, but I just wanted to make sure he got it back. It had some cash in it and a signed paycheck, and a debit card, so I wanted to make sure he got it back."
"I saw he was just a kid, 20 years old, he had a paycheck in there, so I figured, 'Well, he's doing his best to make ends meet,' but I was 20 once, and that's a lot of money for a kid."
He Was A Good Soul
"I was putting it together to send via FedEx, and when I sent it off, I wanted to have a little fun, I wanted him to have a little fun," he recalled. "I imagined what it would be like to get your wallet back, so I added a little bit so he could celebrate."
"Anything from just finding an extra $20 in your pocket from last year when you put your coat away. When I send my mom a card, I still put a dollar in there because it feels good when you open it." Clearly a rare good soul in today's world.