A hard hat that fell into the Mississippi River in 2015 is being mailed back to its owner after being found 4,300 miles away on a beach in Ireland.
Liam McNamara, a member of the Burren Shores Beachcombing & More Facebook group, said he found the hat on a beach in Fanore, County Clare, and sought help from social media in tracking down the original owner of the headwear.
The hat's custom paint job, in the purple and gold colors of Louisiana State University, and an intact sticker bearing the name of the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 25, helped McNamara get into contact with Matthew Bonnette.
Bonnette said he had been working in 2015 in Belle Chasee, La., near New Orleans, when his hat fell into the Mississippi River.
McNamara said he is mailing the hat back to Bonnette in Louisiana.
- Ray Reggie