Magnet fisherman finds “completely pristine” derringer pistol in river
By Mike Sullivan
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BRIDGEWATER, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A magnet fisherman from Cape Cod recently discovered a derringer pistol in a case in a Bridgewater, Massachusetts river. The magnetic spelunker and YouTuber believes the gun may have been stolen or is possibly evidence from a crime.
Bridgewater police say the weapon is now under investigation.
“This must have been a very good case because it looked like it had been down there easily 30 years, 40 years,” said Nate DeMontigny, creator of the YouTube channel Cape Cod Magnet Crew. “The gun inside was completely pristine. It looked brand new. It even actually had a sticker on it, a for sale sticker.”
DeMontigny found the gun while casting over a bridge on Summer Street in Bridgewater. Early that day he cast off a different bridge in town and found a gun clip to a different weapon. The find gave him the impression that more could be down there.
“When you find something like that, evidence that there is something else, you always go back,” said DeMontigny.
DeMontigny is no stranger to finding a weapon. WBZ went out with him and other magnet fishermen in 2024 for a story and discovered the remnants of bomb in a Needham river.
This mysterious derringer pistol has sparked more intrigue than any of his other dangerous finds because people want to know the back story. Before posting a video of the find to YouTube, he posted a photo of the story on Reddit. He says it quickly gained more than a million views.
After finding the weapon, he contacted Bridgewater police before putting any of the footage online. Police tell WBZ the weapon and the circumstances behind it are currently under investigation. They would not divulge any more information than that right now. While DeMontigny believes the gun could be stolen, it turns out that it may end up being his in the end.
“They say I have to wait a year from the date. Luckily, I remember the date because it’s the day after my son’s 18th birthday,” said DeMontigny.
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