Photo credit: AI-generated image created using ChatGPT. Illustrative only
Most guys who magnet fish are hoping for the usual: scrap metal, an old tool, maybe a bike. Nate DeMontigny and Sean Martell have pulled plenty of junk out of Massachusetts waterways, but a find on the Taunton River in Bridgewater changed the tone in a hurry.
While working the river off Summer Street on March 9, DeMontigny’s magnet grabbed a muck-covered case that didn’t look like much—until it cracked open. Inside was a special-edition 1980s Derringer pistol in surprisingly good shape, and the details are laid out in the original post.
A routine pull turned into a firearm recovery
DeMontigny told The Enterprise he first thought the case was something harmless, like a makeup kit. He banged it against the bridge until it started cracking, and that’s when he saw what was tucked inside.
For outdoorsmen, that’s the moment you slow down and get careful. A gun that’s been sitting in a river might be unloaded, or it might not. Either way, it’s not something you toss in a bucket and keep fishing like nothing happened.
The serial number being readable is a big deal
What made this Derringer stand out wasn’t just that it was a firearm—it was the condition. DeMontigny said the stainless-steel pistol still had a readable serial number and even a visible sales sticker.
That matters because a readable serial number gives investigators something solid to work with. Guns tossed in water often end up too corroded for easy identification, which can turn a recovery into little more than a disposal job. In this case, there was at least a chance to trace ownership history or connect it to something bigger.
Bridgewater Police opened an active investigation
DeMontigny contacted the Bridgewater Police Department after realizing what he’d found. Lt. Scott Hile told The Enterprise the department opened an active investigation and is working to determine whether the gun is tied to anything.
Hile also said police didn’t have any specific case in mind when the Derringer turned up. That’s pretty common with waterway gun recoveries—sometimes they match to a known theft or incident, and sometimes they don’t. But a readable serial number at least gives law enforcement a place to start.
For magnet fishers, this is also cleanup work
DeMontigny started his YouTube channel, Cape Cod Magnet Crew, in 2023 with an emphasis on highlighting pollution in local waterways. He’s a Cape Cod native who grew up around water and said he was shocked by how much trash ends up on shore and in the shallows.
He told The Enterprise the hobby started as a way to get his family outside after the COVID-19 pandemic, but it also turned into a mission. The guy doesn’t just stay local, either—magnet fishing has taken him around Massachusetts and into Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island, where he’s met other magnet fishers and made friends along the way.
Commenters and viewers zeroed in on the “crime gun” angle
The video of the Bridgewater recovery drew plenty of attention online, including thousands of views on YouTube and a much larger wave of views after it was shared elsewhere. The raw moment on camera—surprise included—was part of what pulled people in.
But the reaction makes sense: when a firearm comes out of a river, most folks immediately wonder why it was there in the first place. Lost property is one thing. A gun sealed in a case, sitting in the mud, pushes people toward questions about dumping, stolen guns, or evidence getting pitched after a bad decision.
What outdoorsmen should take from this (and what not to do)
DeMontigny estimated this Derringer was the 15th or 16th discarded firearm he’s found in waterways across the state. That number alone is a reminder that if you spend time on the water—fishing, kayaking, trapping, or just poking around bridges—you can stumble into serious stuff.
If you ever pull up a gun while magnet fishing, treat it like it could be loaded and like it could be evidence. Don’t start wiping it down to “see what it is,” don’t try to cycle anything, and don’t pocket it and hope nobody notices. The smart play is exactly what DeMontigny did here: contact local police and let them handle it from there.
And from a cleanup standpoint, his other point is worth hearing. DeMontigny said the “treasures” that get him most excited are batteries, because they’re toxic and hard on the environment. It’s not glamorous, but it’s the kind of trash that can quietly ruin a stretch of water where you like to fish.
DeMontigny also said he hopes finds like this can help close an unsolved case if the gun is connected to one. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t—but when a serial number is still readable after years underwater, it at least gives investigators a real chance to find out.
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