A Carrollton fire department mechanic did more than change the tires on an engine recently. He solved a mystery, three years in the making.
On his 30th anniversary with the department, FF/Medic Lee Holbert was presented with a coin during a ceremony, Fox4 reported.
Holbert, also a registered nurse, SCUBA diver and pilot, died six months after receiving the accolades.
Lisa, his wife, recalled: "He hands me everything to take home except for the coin. I’m not sure why, but he kept the coin. The next morning he came home and said, ‘Well, I didn’t have that coin for very long. Troy took a hard turn and the coin was just gone. He said it rolled, and it went down into a crack, and it’s somewhere in the streets of Carrollton."
Retired firefighter Troy Smith, who was driving Holbert when the coin was lost, remembers it as if it were yesterday.
"I figured we’d find it when we got back, but it was nowhere to be found. I took things apart, took the seat apart, looked everywhere, but apparently it fell down further than I could see apparently."
While changing a tire on the engine recently, Nick Anselmo spotted something shiny.
"I went, ‘Oh cool a coin, it’s a cool little fire coin.’ When I flipped it over, and I saw the 30 years, I was like, 'Oh man, someone misses this," the fire department mechanic told reporters.
The reunion at the fire station recently came with hugs and tears.
"This is such a big deal for my children and I. For me, it’s a sign that he’s still with me."
