Bay Area man finds missing AirPods he lost at Burning Man 2 years ago: How he tracked them down
He said the AirPods have been in Denver, Iowa, South Carolina, Utah and even New York City.
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- It's a reunion two years in the making. And it all started back when Edward Aten says he lost his AirPods at the Burning Man festival in Nevada in 2022.
"It was just an hour or two away when I realized that I had forgotten my AirPods. You know, it's the moment when you go to make the phone call and you have to hold the thing up to your face," Aten said.
After he realized they were missing, Aten says he was able to track the AirPods with the 'Find My' app on his phone.
He began making videos on social media documenting everywhere they went, eventually attracting thousands of views.
"Over the coming months, they traveled all over the United States. They spent time in Iowa, they spent time in North Carolina, we caught them walking down the street in New York at 3 o'clock in the morning one night which was really exciting," Aten said.
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That was until just last week, when the AirPods suddenly appeared in Santa Rosa just minutes way from Aten's home.
"And I realized, I've got to go over there. I've got to go find them," he said.
So find them he did.
After knocking on the front door of the home where the AirPods were located, Aten met Chance Colbert - whose dad, Peter, had given him the Airpods.
ABC7 News reporter Tim Johns caught up with both of them on Zoom, where Chance proudly displayed the AirPods in question.
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"They actually are. I thought it'd be fitting. They are the AirPods I use every day," Chance said.
Peter says he's not sure how he initially got a hold of the AirPods since he wasn't at Burning Man back in 2022.
A realtor by trade, he thinks he might have gotten them from a house he sold sometime after the festival, before giving them to his son.
After meeting Chance and being reunited with his old AirPods once again, Aten says he allowed Chance to keep them.
The only condition was that he had to make a donation to the local Redwood Empire Food Bank.
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"We've all volunteered at food banks, specifically Redwood Empire. So when I heard his request I was happy to oblige," Chance said.
As for Aten, he's happy this story had a good ending.
Something he hopes will carry on into the future.
"If we could have this story end with a little bit more joy, a little bit more help, a little bit more people paying it forward then that to me is the best ending," Aten said.
Watch the full interview with Ed Aten below.
