Franklin Park (PA) Firefighter Dave Vodarick lost his helmet working a water rescue in 2019, presumably for good.
But fast-forward three years and hundreds of miles all the way to Maysville (KY), where a kayaker on the Ohio River spotted the helmet floating in the water in May, reports CBS.
After determining what the object was, the man sent it on its way back to PA.
The helmet originally went missing when firefighters were called to assist a school bus trapped in flood waters, and the current was so strong it nearly washed Vodarick away.
Now, fire officials say the wayward gear will be placed in the department trophy case.