Lost phone travels from Rovaniemi to the Philippines

A Filipino tourist’s lost phone has been returned after a month underwater in Rovaniemi, thanks to a local woman who found it in a ditch.

Robert Soliman, a tourist from the Philippines, dropped his phone through thin ice into shallow water while walking with his wife along a beach in Rovaniemi in March. Despite searching, they could not retrieve it before their flight home.

In late April, Aino Kononen spotted the phone in a ditch near Jätkänkynttilä bridge during a walk. She took it home, cleaned it, and charged it. The device powered on, revealing the owner’s email and phone number.

Kononen attempted to call Soliman four times without success before he responded to her email. Soliman, who had already given up on recovering the phone and its photos from his trip to Lapland and northern Norway, was surprised and moved by her honesty.

The phone was soon on its way back to the Philippines. Soliman described retrieving his long-lost photos as “like finding treasure.” Kononen said she was happy to see her effort appreciated.

Soliman, who lives in Manila, said the experience reinforced his belief in Finnish values. “Aino and other Finns give me hope and faith that there are still good people in the world,” he said. He plans to return to “magical” Lapland but will buy a phone strap next time.