He Lost His Flute in Yukon River. 5 Years Later, a Reunion

Five years after he watched his canoe—and his favorite musical instrument—vanish in a Yukon river, Jun Takahashi is getting his flute back. CBC News reports that the paddler from Salt Spring Island, BC, spotted a familiar image in a Yukon canoeing Facebook group: a blue waterproof barrel, spilled-out camping gear, and an open flute case in the middle of it all. The items had been found last month by Colin Abbott near the junction of the Kathleen and Dezadeash rivers, not far from where Takahashi capsized during a 2021 trip and had to abandon his barrel to the current.

"Things are damp and a bit mildewy inside, but some stuff is likely salvageable (especially the flute!) anyone know of someone dumping in the Kathleen in the last couple years who might be missing this?" Abbott wrote in his post. He said he'd hauled the barrel home after finding it, then posted his photo, figuring "someone would know this story." The flute, which Takahashi bought in Japan and has carried around the world to play in remote places, survived intact; a Yukon friend will now transport it back to him in BC.