SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - "I really didn't think I would ever see it again because it's a pretty big city with a lot of people in it," said Kelly Krantz of the wallet she lost while on vacation in New Orleans.

While in New Orleans on vacation last month, Yellowknifers Sandra and Steve Moore found a wallet in a park. They tracked down Kelly Krantz, the 23-year-old owner, by contacting her university, and put the wallet in the mail. Krantz got it back five days after she lost it. - photo illustration by Ian Vaydik

But lucky for the 23-year-old college student from Michigan, two Yellowknifers also on vacation in Louisiana found it and managed to return it to her in less than a week.

Steve and Sandra Moore were birdwatching at the New Orleans City Park on March 21 when they stumbled upon Krantz's patterned wallet sitting atop of freshly cut grass.

The couple knew they wouldn't be able to find the rightful owner among the hundreds of people in the park, so they took the wallet back to their hotel.

"We opened it up and it seemed pretty clear that this was a university student, so we thought, she's here on vacation and she's lost her wallet while she's on school break," said Sandra. "She must be freaking out.

"Mostly I wanted her to know that somebody had found it and that she was going to get her ID back. I figured that's the thing I'd be worried about, that this stuff was just out there and you'd never know what had happened to it. We wanted to let her know, somehow as soon as we could, that this stuff had been found and it was coming back to her."

Through e-mail correspondence with Fair State University, where Krantz is studying respiratory therapy, the Moores were put into contact with Krantz, who then excitedly called them to identify her wallet.

"I thought it was a joke, like there's no way somebody found my wallet," said Krantz. "But, by chance, some small town people from very, very far away found it. It definitely made my week and then some."

Sandra said as soon as they had Krantz's address, the wallet was sent by express mail along with a Northern magazine.

"I told her next time she's in Yellowknife, stop by and see us. So maybe she'll come to Yellowknife one day," she said with a laugh.

Krantz said the package arrived in her mailbox on March 26, five days after she dropped her wallet.

"It's like I never lost it," she said. "It was still untouched with all of my cards, identification and money in place. I could not be more thankful."

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.