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A scuba diver was stunned to make an unexpected find at the bottom of the sea - when an iPhone lit up when it received a text.

Incredibly the device still had more than 80% of its charge, despite being dropped to the seabed two days earlier.

It has now been reunited with its Canadian owner after it was dropped by a kayaker close to the coast in Dorset.

Cerys Hearsey's attention was drawn to the phone when she noticed a flash of light on the seabed about 30ft down.

It was in a waterproof case and still had 84% battery life.

(Image: CerysHearsey/BNPS)

(Image: CerysHearsey/BNPS)

She scooped it up, took it back to the shore and scrolled through the contacts to find its owner.

It has now been returned to a grateful Rob Smith, whose Canadian cousin had lost it while the pair were kayaking at Durdle Door in Dorset.

They were approaching the famous coastal landmark when the phone toppled over the edge of their boat.

Although the phone was in a waterproof case they accepted they wouldn't be unable to recover it and returned home.

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Two days later, Cerys, 34, was diving in the area when she noticed the phone sat on the sea bed.

She arranged to meet Rob, 34, and his wife Evie, in nearby Weymouth after the pair explained their cousin was by that time on a flight back to Canada.

The phone has now been posted back across the Atlantic.

(Image: CerysHearsey/BNPS)

Cerys, who was visiting Dorset from her home in Essex, said she is pleased to be able to to return the phone to its rightful owner.

She said: "I could see the phone sitting on the bottom of the seabed because it received a message and lit up.

"I picked it up and returned to land where I cut it out of its case as it was starting to get a bit of water inside.

"I then looked up the numbers and got in touch with the owner's family.

"Phones are so critical to life nowadays they can be difficult to replace.

"The owner of the phone was on a flight back to Canada, so I met with the owner's cousin Rob.

"I only had an hour before I had to return home, but luckily she could pick it up.

(Image: CerysHearsey/BNPS)

"They were really lovely people and amazed to see it, I think they had given up any hopes of finding it.

"I just hope someone would do the same for me one day."

Rob, from Bridport, Dorset, said: "Cerys was such a nice lady and we were over the moon.

"We couldn't believe she had it still and at 84% battery.

"I would like to give a big thank you to the whole scuba diving team.

"My cousin had a lot of pictures of his trip to the UK saved on his phone which he thought he wouldn't be able to see again.

"We thought there was no way of getting it back.

"My cousin can't believe it. He was upset at first and thought that he would have to pay another $900 for a new phone."