Athens, Greece. An elderly woman in Greece was reunited on Monday with a bag containing €30,000, gold coins and jewellery after she accidentally left it on a public bus.
Bag left on bus route 856
The incident took place on the 856 bus route running between Egaleo and Dafne, according to state broadcaster ERT. The passenger got off the bus without realising she had left the bag behind.
Passenger and driver response
Another passenger noticed the bag shortly afterward and alerted the driver. The driver asked that it be placed at the front of the bus, expecting the owner to return for it.
Alert from OSY coordination centre
Within minutes, the driver received an alert from the OSY coordination centre asking whether a bag had been found. He was then informed of the bag’s valuable contents.
Contents discovered
The driver later said he had only glanced at the bag and seen fruit inside, unaware it also contained €30,000 in cash along with gold sovereigns and jewellery.
Owner traced through authorities
The woman realised the bag was missing only after arriving home and telling her daughter. Her daughter contacted the transport authorities to track down the vehicle, and the bag was returned to its owner through the relevant authorities.
Officials cite quick and honest actions
Officials said the outcome could have been different without the quick and honest reaction of both the fellow passenger and the driver.
Have you ever recovered a lost item thanks to the help of strangers?