Lost DJI Phantom 4 found... what now?

[30U Plymouth]

Hello,

A buddy and I found a Phantom 4 in about 35 feet of water at a nearby lake.
It doesn't appear to have been in the water very long.
We would like to get it back into the hands of the owner.
Is there a way to track down who owned it?

BTW... is there anything that needs done to preserve the drone since it was found in fresh water?
All parts move freely and we do not have experience with drones, so we are not sure what to do with it.
Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Ghostdancer76]

Just keep posting it on social media and hopefully the owner will come around

 

[30U Plymouth]

Just keep posting it on social media and hopefully the owner will come around

Would it have a SD card?
I'm thinking I may be able to view the video for clues to who the owner is.

 

[Ghostdancer76]

It should have one in it. I never fly without one myself

 

[Ghostdancer76]

At the base of the gimbal you’ll see the slot

 

[30U Plymouth]

At the base of the gimbal you’ll see the slot

Found it... I'll have to get an adapter to view it, but that won't be a problem. I'll post the results of the search when I learn something.
Thanks

 

[outofcontroldrone]

Hello,

A buddy and I found a Phantom 4 in about 35 feet of water at a nearby lake.
It doesn't appear to have been in the water very long.
We would like to get it back into the hands of the owner.
Is there a way to track down who owned it?

BTW... is there anything that needs done to preserve the drone since it was found in fresh water?
All parts move freely and we do not have experience with drones, so we are not sure what to do with it.
Any help would be appreciated.
View attachment 88557

Wow you dove down 35 ft? How did you even see it and let alone hold your breath to retrieve it?

 

[Ghostdancer76]

You can slide it into an android phone that takes a micro sd card

 

[30U Plymouth]

Wow you dove down 35 ft? How did you even see it and let alone hold your breath to retrieve it?

We were diving for treasure at the base of some cliffs that people jump off of. Water was clear since boat traffic was low on Thursday. We also found 1- Gold ring, 2- watches, 8- sun glasses, 1- large silver cross, 1- silver ring, and other items.
BTW, we were hookah diving... not holding our breath. LOL

 

[30U Plymouth]

Still not able to find the owner, but still looking.

 

[P3$E pilot]

First off, have you pulled the battery? LiPO batts don't seem to like swimming. Once it's dried out and you've looked it over, hit the button once to see if it comes to life. If it has any charge left, you might try powering the craft. Press the battery button once, then hold it on a second press for a few seconds to see if the craft responds. It may take up to a minute before any lights flash, but if they do, it may still be alive! I'd shut it down using the same double touch procedure, then go look for another pilot in your area with a remote controller to sync to it. If you get that far, you can probably retrieve the flight logs from the SD card. That could get you info to contact DJI and find out the serial number and eventually trace it to who signed for it on delivery.

You could also find that same pilot to let you plug in a good batt and go down the same path. Either way, good luck! It's noble of you to want to return it to its rightful owner. And, if you can't find the owner, you might just have a pretty awesome platform for a real cheap price! But, be careful, owning one of these can be a really deep rabbit hole.

 

[30U Plymouth]

First off, have you pulled the battery? LiPO batts don't seem to like swimming. Once it's dried out and you've looked it over, hit the button once to see if it comes to life. If it has any charge left, you might try powering the craft. Press the battery button once, then hold it on a second press for a few seconds to see if the craft responds. It may take up to a minute before any lights flash, but if they do, it may still be alive! I'd shut it down using the same double touch procedure, then go look for another pilot in your area with a remote controller to sync to it. If you get that far, you can probably retrieve the flight logs from the SD card. That could get you info to contact DJI and find out the serial number and eventually trace it to who signed for it on delivery.

You could also find that same pilot to let you plug in a good batt and go down the same path. Either way, good luck! It's noble of you to want to return it to its rightful owner. And, if you can't find the owner, you might just have a pretty awesome platform for a real cheap price! But, be careful, owning one of these can be a really deep rabbit hole.

Thanks for the information.
I will give it a try.

 

[Richard LaFleche]

If there is an FAA registration number on it maybe you could contact them and see they have any information that may help locate the owner.

 

[30U Plymouth]

If there is an FAA registration number on it maybe you could contact them and see they have any information that may help locate the owner.

Where would the FAA number be?

 

[Richard LaFleche]

Where would the FAA number be?

It could be anywhere on the drone, On mine I put the FAA on the top outside of the drone and one in the battery compartment. I also did the same for my cell number.

Rich

 

[P3$E pilot]

Or you might find a driver's license number etched somewhere on the body or in the batt compartment.

 

[30U Plymouth]

Thanks for the information.

 

[Neon Euc]

Been two months now since you found it, could see if the police had anyone asking for it. If not.... looks like its yours buddy. You done the right thing and all you could do

 

[DKG13CC]

Ever power it on?

 

[Clench M'cheeks]

BTW... is there anything that needs done to preserve the drone since it was found in fresh water?

You wouldn't happen to have a 50lb sack of rice you could put it in would you?