Lime hires local magnet fisherman to get bikes, scooters from Spokane River

Taylor Graham by Taylor Graham

Copyright 2019 KXLY.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without prior permission.

For the last year, the Spokane River has been home to Paul Swanson’s magnet fishing — and to a handful of Lime bikes and scooters that have been tossed in. Now, Paul is getting paid for his passion, as Lime has hired him to fish those bikes and scooters out of the water.

“I saw a couple scooters in the water and I fished them out, you know, that’s what I do,” Paul told KXLY. “And I returned them and Lime said, ‘this is a great quality idea and we’d love to have you come on board’ and give us a hand and I was more than honored to.”

It’s not about the money — and a contract with Lime was never part of the plan. But here he is.

“It was great, it was cool. We all came together and we pulled something out of the water and we’re there again,” Paul said after he fished a scooter out of the river on Sunday, alongside two passerbys and his son. “The adrenaline that you could feel. You could feel the power and the energy of the excitement of finding something and pulling it out and you did it! The smiles, endless smiles. You’re treasure hunting. It’s amazing.”

Paul has been on this treasure hunt for the past two years, ever since his multiple sclerosis landed him in the hospital and took him away from the bait and hook he loved. He came across magnet fishing online in his hospital bed and he hasn’t looked back.

“I needed something else to do in my life, due to having MS, and this was it,” Paul said. “I learned, I became really good at it and it was something I was meant to do. And when you find your groove in life, so to speak, the rest is history.”

Now, he’s putting his passion to work and he couldn’t be grateful for this new kind of treasure hunt.

“Two years later, I’m right here, I’m standing, I’m healthy,” Paul said. “The dream’s growing with the help of Spokane, and we can change the world. We truly can.”

Catch up on the day’s news and look ahead to tomorrow by signing up for the Daily Local email newsletter from KXLY4. Headlines, events, and staff picks every weeknight at 8 p.m. Sign up HERE to get your news on the D.L.

COPYRIGHT 2020 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.