Man still looking for owner of plaque he found on beach 11 years ago

Eleven years ago, Guy Holt was walking on Sandy Beach when something caught his eye.

An intricately carved piece of wood lay on the beach, with large letters on it saying “TAKA: You saved my life. I will love you and miss you always.” It was clear to Holt that a great deal of time and effort went into this and he picked it up, hoping to find the person who made it.

“Having no way to find the owner, I’ve just held onto it for the past 11 years,” Holt said, “and about twice a year, I’ll put it on Craigslist and hope that serendipity finds the original owner.”

Holt, who works for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has had no luck so far. The plaque, which is maybe 18 inches wide, has two hearts carved on it as well. It has a spot on the back that looks as if it were attached to a wall at some point.

For the past 11 years, it’s been in Holt’s workshop. He’s shown it to friends, who all have their own theories as to what it means. Holt believes it’s probably in reference to somebody’s pet, but friends f his have speculated that it could be in reference to a person’s name or nickname.

“I presume whoever lost it would probably like it back,” Holt said, laughing.

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• If you are the owner or know the owner of the plaque, please contact reporter Alex McCarthy at 523-2271 or alex.mccarthy@juneauempire.com. For news updates, follow him on Twitter at @akmccarthy.

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