RICHMOND (NEWS1130) – Have you ever lost something at an airport?

You wouldn’t believe the items the folks at YVR have reunited with their owners. Dawn Coates is in charge of the 11,000 items turned in at the Lost and Found at YVR every year. A lot of it is glasses.

“[We receive an] average of 100 pairs a month… which is an awful lot of glasses. There’s the obvious clothing; people put their cardigans down and don’t pick them up… An awful lot of clothing actually!” she tells us.

“Cameras, cellphones, you name it, everything you can think of,” she lists.

The most unusual item?

“We had a snake that was encased in a glass bottle. That was quite horrific to put your hand in a bag and pull that out. That will stay in my memory for a long time,” Coates tells us.

“There are so many items that come through Lost and Found here. Nobody throws anything away; it all comes through me so I can take a good look at it and see if it could be valuable to somebody. My room is packed full of things which I’m constantly going through and trying to find the owners, but the snake is the most memorable, horrific thing I’ve discovered,” she laughs.

The recovery of one item touched Coates’ heart

“A few years ago, I received a camera and, knowing they are full of memories, I always try to find clues to find the owner. So I scrolled through the photos and I was happy to see an outside shot of the hotel where a wedding was held, and of course, the date was displayed,” she recalls.

“I called the hotel and asked the concierge if she would kindly contact the wedding party, which she did. A few days later, the camera was reunited with a very happy young bride. It’s a very touching story that I’m proud to tell,” she boasts.

Coates is very proud of how many items are reunited with owners. “I’ve shipped things to Australia, Asia, Yukon, and as close as just down the road. I can ship anything anywhere as long as there is a courier service that can get it there!”

So, if you’ve lost something there is hope.

“Oh absolutely!” exclaims Coates. “Just call us. We record all your information and there’s a very good chance it will be returned to you.”

If you have lost something at YVR, you can call the Lost and Found at 604-276-6104 or toll-free at 1-866-817-5243.