- Sonia had been out for farewell drinks one evening with work colleagues
- After nabbing a ride home with a mate, she says her bag, which had been with her all night, was gone
- Sonia searched everywhere, but its mysterious disappearance left her baffled
- Incredibly, a year later, Sonia’s lost handbag reappeared under bizarre circumstances
- Here, Sonia Pope, 56, from Boulee, NSW, shares her amazing real-life story….
My colleagues and I walked out of the venue.
“I’ll just grab my handbag from my car,” I told them.
It was November 2023, and I’d been with my fellow school teachers at The Oaks Ranch, a boutique hotel, to farewell a retiring colleague.
It was 5.30pm and my friend Michael had offered me a lift home because I’d had two margaritas.
I walked to my car and got my favourite black Country Road handbag, then strung it across me.
Then I hopped into Michael’s car with another friend, Cassie, and he drove me the 6km to my house.
When we arrived, I couldn’t find my handbag.
Read more: I came home to find a random pole in my driveway!
“That’s so weird,” I said. “I swear I had it on me.”
The three of us looked around and felt under the seats but couldn’t find it.
“Want me to take you back to check?” Michael offered, but I told him not to worry.
I lived on my own but had a spare key hidden, so I let myself into my house.
Once inside, I realised the bag contained my licence with my address on it, plus my house keys, car keys and phone… I began to get nervous.
Join 66,000+ readers who love our true, real-life stories. From shocking true crime to the most heartwarming moments, sign up for Take 5’s free weekly newsletter and never miss a story!
I emailed my friend Lizette from my laptop to fill her in.
I’m walking back to The Oaks Ranch to search for my lost handbag, I wrote.
When I finally made it to my car, the bag wasn’t there.
Lizette arrived and helped me search the car park. I asked reception and the bar staff but no-one had seen it or handed it in.
“It’s just vanished,” I sighed to Lizette.
She drove me home and the next day, I searched Michael’s car again and checked on Apple’s Find My app.
It said my phone was still at The Oaks Ranch.
Eventually, I went through the painful process of cancelling all my credit cards and replacing my phone.
That Christmas, my daughter Alicia, 25, kindly bought me a replica bag.
In January 2025, I was on holiday with my boyfriend Alex, 64, when my other daughter Talia, 27, called.
She was staying over at my house.
“You won’t believe this,” she said excitedly.
A lifeguard had turned up and handed over my handbag, 14 months after it’d gone missing!
“A snorkeller found it underwater in some rocks off South Broulee Beach,” Talia continued.
They’d cut the bag open and found my drivers’ licence. Nothing was missing. Even a $20 note was still in my wallet.
“That’s incredible!”I cried, stunned.
When I got home, I charged into the house.
“Where’s my bag?” I said to Talia.
After 11 days on rice, my phone switched on but the battery was shot. My reading glasses are a bit blurry but my house and car keys still work.
It’s a mystery how my bag wound up in the ocean when it went missing at an inland venue.
One theory is that it fell next to Michael’s car and heavy rain washed it into a storm drain.
We’ll never know, but I’ve stuck the $20 note up on my wall as a reminder that miracles do happen.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
