A well-known scuba diver in the Okanagan has been retrieving countless lost items from the bottoms of local lakes for decades and returning them to members of the public.

Okanagan Falls resident Steve Toth, locally known as Scuba Steve, spent decades running commercial diving businesses teaching diving and doing underwater salvage. Since retiring three years ago, he continues to don the wet suit in search of treasures on a regular basis.

“I’m enjoying retirement and my main focus is treasure hunting and returning lost items to people like cell phones, rings and jewelry,” he said. “If I find something I try to find out who the owner is.”

Toth has been scuba diving all over the world and in the Okanagan for 46 years, frequenting the bottoms of Okanagan Lake, Skaha Lake, the Penticton Channel and beyond.

He said his diving career was initially sparked by his interest in historic explorers.

“I got into it because I’ve always had a liking for the old Jacques Cousteau series when he used to explore the world, that’s what got me excited about it,” he said.

Toth uses a variety of technology to find treasures, including an underwater metal detector, an underwater drone for capturing detailed footage and underwater sonar technology that measures distances and detects objects.

He has found a wide assortment of items over the years.

Most notably, Toth found a vehicle in Skaha Lake in 2010 with the remains of a woman who had been missing for 38 years inside.

“I’ve recovered over 150 vehicles for ICBC over the years in rivers and lakes but they were known to be there and I was called to come pull them out,” he said. “This one no one knew about. I was playing with my side scan sonar and that’s how I discovered it.

“I decided to bring it up for an event called Earth Day Cleanup and when we got to the area a tow truck flipped it over and we discovered a skull and bones in it.

“It was incredible to help solve the mystery.”

Other items Toth has retrieved include outboard motors, guns, sunglasses, watches, wallets and clothing. The water in most of the lakes in the area are clear aside from during spring runoff, allowing great visibility for treasure hunting.

He comes across a significant amount of garbage, particularly in the Penticton Channel he explores every week.

“You find all kinds of things, whatever people lose or throw away,” he said. “There is a lot of garbage down there, you run into something all the time.

“Years ago, I did a lot of cleanups of the channel and it seemed every time you pulled something out there was more. People who go out there throw stuff all the time, beers cans and booze bottles.”

Toth has even seen sturgeon in Okanagan Lake.

“Sturgeon do what is called a roll over where they come up once a year in late spring to get rid of parasites,” he said. “You get a twenty-foot sturgeon coming up and thrashing around and it sure looks like Ogopogo. They are docile though.”

These days Toth is regularly called to boat launches, docks and marinas to retrieve dropped key fobs, smart watches and cell phones, often receiving a financial donation in return. He recently found masks and sunglasses in good condition and gave them to a good Samaritan who flew to Belize and donated them to less fortunate kids.

“People recognize me as Scuba Steve and ask me to find stuff and of course I always do, it’s the fun part of the last years of my diving career.”

Go here to check out Scuba Steve’s diving adventures.