• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Google Earth Blog

The amazing things about Google Earth

  • Home
  • About
  • Basics
  • Links
  • Tips
  • 3D Models
  • Sightseeing
  • Videos

Tracking down the owner of a lost camera by using Google Earth

September 10, 2012

lost-camera.jpg

Three years ago while camping in the Adirondacks, Michael Comeau dropped his camera into a small stream and was unable to find it. This past July, John Noerr stumbled across the camera and was able to track down the owner of it thanks to some creative thinking, hard work, and Google Earth. You can read the full story here.
John used Street View to try to identify the location of some of the photos on the card, then he used Google Earth to pin locations of various photos.

In the end, it came down to a handful of pictures: the front stoop of a house numbered 327, one of the sky, and a shot of a corner of a building with “very unique stone work” and a visible sign for 3rd Street.

“I went onto Google Earth Street View and started looking up every 3rd Street I could find,” he said.

That placed him in the camera owner’s neighborhood, where other identifiable buildings and doors popped up that Noerr recognized from pictures on the memory card. Faster than he imagined, he found the house, No. 327, on Street View, tracked down the building’s owner, and used Facebook and Twitter to contact the family.

(via ABC News)

About Mickey Mellen

Mickey has been using Google Earth since it was released in 2005, and has created a variety of geo-related sites including Google Earth Hacks. He runs a web design firm in Marietta, GA, where he lives with his wife and two kids.

  • Twitter
  • |
  • More Posts(1431)

Filed Under: Science

Reader Interactions






PLEASE NOTE: Google Earth Blog is no longer writing regular posts. As a result, we are not accepting new comments or questions about Google Earth. If you have a question, use the official Google Earth and Maps Forums or the Google Earth Community Forums.

Comments

  1. George Kemkas says

    September 11, 2012 at 3:51 am

    Waterproof memory?

  2. amanda chadwick says

    September 16, 2012 at 4:33 pm

    John you are a star! you’re 1 in a million!!!!!!!

  3. Pamela says

    September 17, 2012 at 3:32 pm

    Fabulous yet creepy.

  4. Kenneth Poli says

    September 29, 2012 at 8:06 am

    Was the camera working? : )

  5. John says

    October 5, 2012 at 8:13 am

    The camera was not working, but it protected the memory card. And, yeah, it was a bit creepy. But Im on to other investigations involving memory cards.

  6. android applications says

    February 1, 2013 at 2:55 am

    You served as a channel of blessing for the one who lost his slr camera. He must be grateful to you. This camera has really good quality.



PLEASE NOTE: Google Earth Blog is no longer writing regular posts. As a result, we are not accepting new comments or questions about Google Earth. If you have a question, use the official Google Earth and Maps Forums or the Google Earth Community Forums.

Primary Sidebar

RSS
Follow by Email
Facebook
Twitter




Categories

  • 3D Models (792)
  • Applications (708)
  • Business (288)
  • Environment (353)
  • Flying (208)
  • GE Plugin (282)
  • Google Earth News (1,764)
  • Google Earth Tips (592)
  • GPS (136)
  • Navigation (227)
  • Network Links (214)
  • Sailing (121)
  • Science (499)
  • Sightseeing (1,903)
  • Site News (587)
  • Sky (67)
  • Sports (154)
  • Street View (50)
  • Tours (117)
  • Video (421)
  • Weather (180)

Get new posts by email

Get new posts by email:

Google Earth Satellites

Copyright 2005-© 2023 Frank Taylor. All Rights Reserved.

This blog and its author are not an official source of information from Google that produces and owns Google Earth Google and Google Earth are trademarks of Google Inc.. All image screenshots from Google Earth are Copyright Google. All other trademarks appearing here are the trademarks of their respective owners.