Good Samaritan returns lost car keys, driver’s license and cash found at Lovers Key

Forget trying to find a needle in a haystack. Try finding a car key in the Gulf of Mexico.

Peter and Michaele Cazares moved to Estero six years ago and promised themselves to go to the beach at least once a week.

After a beach theft on vacation years back, the pair began carrying the essentials in a lanyard wherever they go while on the beach.

“This worked well for three years until that Sunday when it didn’t work,” says Michaele.

Peter felt his pocket while snorkeling and realized the lanyard with the car key, his driver’s license, and cash was gone.

“I know I didn’t leave it on the beach, I know I didn’t leave it on the chair, it’s out there and I just looked at her and said. It’s gone. It’s just gone,” said Cazares.

Stranded at the beach the Cazares asked the Alois, a fellow couple finding sea shells at Lovers Key, to borrow their phone to call for a ride home.

“We saw them coming back and we happened to notice they were still holding hands coming back up here. It was so sweet because obviously, he was distressed,” said Debroah Aloi.

“She goes, well where do you guys live? I go in Estero. She goes we’ll take you home. No no no you don’t have to. No no no we’re good,” recalls Peter.

“The entire 30-minute ride home was calming Pete. Just a joke here and there just to bring it all down. It really did help,” says Michaele.

“We dropped them off and I said to him, I said Peter your day is going to get better,” said Deborah.

After getting their spare key, the Cazares drove back to Lovers Key to pick up their car and bring it home.

“Three hours later we’re just sitting at home and doorbell rings. We weren’t expecting anyone. And there was Peyton like ‘Are you Pete’? I said ‘yeah’. He said ‘does this belong to you?”

Peyton Schaefer kayaking in Lover’s Key found Peter’s lanyard floating on top of the water.

“I saw what I thought was a piece of trash floating and I thought well I’m gonna go get it. I reached into to pick it up I thought oh my god I knew immediately what it was it’s a phone lanyard and I thought someone is on a boat or a jet ski and it fell off. And then I saw the car key and I thought, oh God, they are stranded. Someone is on a boat, they are gonna come back and they are stranded,” said Schaefer.

He found the address on Peter’s driver’s license and drove the lanyard to their home. One week before, Schaefer tipped his kayak in the same area losing most of his gear, phone and essentials. He knew exactly how important the lanyard he found would be to the owner who needed it.

“I definitely knew that sinking feeling like it’s gone forever,” said Schaefer.

So excited to find the lost treasure, the Cazares had to tell the Alois who drove them home about the lucky arrival.

“They were insisting to give us money. We’re like no. And we drove away feeling good and we said that’s great. But when the call came that Peyton brought the key back, I couldn’t believe it. that was impressive,” said Eric Aloi.

“Like winning the lottery!” says Deborah.

“That’s why we reached out to WINK News to let people know, you know what? Humanity lives and there are good people that live right here in our neighborhood,” says Michaele. “Each of us have the same mentality. And it’s just nice to know that again there is just nice people out there who do it for no other reason other than it’s going to make someone else feel better.”