Lost and Found items surged at SLC airport in 2015

When was the last time you lost something at the airport?

According to the Salt Lake International Airport lost and found , more and more people are leaving things behind when they fly, and it’s adding up for those tasked with finding their rightful owners.

Workers at the SLC Airport Lost and Found report a 30 percent jump in 2015 of items left behind. Still, they’re just as determined to make sure they get back in the right hands.

Loreigh Riney, one of three staffers in the Salt Lake Airport Lost and Found, told 2News she has seen just about everything come in.

“Jewelry, rings, earrings,” she said, showing off the packed closet full of stuff. “Appetizer trays, a chess set.”

She even showed off a tiny doll house toilet — marked and cataloged in case its owner comes calling.

“Every day is like Christmas morning,” she said. “I have no idea what I’m going to get.”

Riney said items are often amusing, like a pasta colander found in the women’s restroom.

Sometimes, she said, lost items are perplexing.

“One of the strangest was a prosthetic leg one year,” Riney said.

And sometimes, the things that come in to her closet are downright bizarre.

“A full set of fresh cut elk antlers,” Riney said.

In 2015, the Lost and Found took in more than 17,000 items — an average of about 48 a day. You might think with such a heavy volume that Riney would simply sit around and wait for someone to call.

Sometimes, she gets lucky when an owner calls up and claims an item. The rest of the time, she gets to play detective.

“With laptops, we’ll be able to log on and at least maybe get a name,” she said. “With cellphones, we’re constantly calling the last number called.”

Of all the items left behind last year, more than 3,000 found their way back home — a success rate of about 20 percent. Anything else unclaimed after 90 days goes to auction or charity.

“What makes me the most sad is the items that people never call back for,” said Riney.

She wonders, if travelers only knew this little closet existed, it might not stay so full.

“Maybe we would be able to return more,” she said.

For now, she’ll keep at it, following something she’s learned over the years — nothing is insignificant.

“I think the most rewarding is being able to return something to somebody that was super sentimental,” Riney said.

If you’ve lost anything at the Salt Lake Airport, you can call the Lost and Found at 801-575-2427 or email them at [email protected].

Riney notes the Lost and Found only covers items left on the airport premises, not on any airplanes. Salt Lake International Airport lost property, SLC Airport lost property