The hunt for an eccentric author’s $1million treasure chest packed with gold, jewellery and gems hidden in the Rocky Mountains is finally over.
Forrest Fenn announced the decade long search for his prize, which has cost at least five men their lives trying to find it, ended after a man sent a photograph to the 89-year-old to verify his find.
Ever since the writer announced the treasure hunt in his 2010 memoir, thousands of thrill-seekers have been drawn to the Rockies hoping to claim it riches.
“It was under a canopy of stars in the lush, forested vegetation of the Rocky Mountains and had not moved from the spot where I hid it more than ten years ago,” Fenn wrote in his announcement.
“I do not know the person who found it, but the poem in my book led him to the precise spot.”
Fenn, from Santa Fe, New Mexico, said the treasure was found a few days ago by a man from “back East” who did not want to be named.
The millionaire however still will not reveal the exact location of the chest, which was packed with hundreds of rare gold coins and gold nuggets.
Pre-Colombian animal figures were also inside along with ancient Chinese faces carved from jade, antique jewellery with rubies and emeralds and prehistoric mirrors of hammered gold.
The chest, worth £790,000, was also sprinkled in gold dust.
Fenn created the hunt to inspire people to explore nature and give hope to people affected by the Great Recession, he said.
Clues leading to its location were included in a 24-line poem published in Fenn’s 2010 autobiography “The Thrill of the Chase.”
Over the years, he estimated that as many as 350,000 people from all over the world went hunting for the treasure.
Some left their jobs to dedicate their lives to the hunt fully.
“I congratulate the thousands of people who participated in the search and hope they will continue to be drawn by the promise of other discoveries,” Fenn said on his website.
However, many on social media have questioned whether the hunt was ever for real pointing to how he refuses to reveal its location or show a picture.
Joe Monahan wrote on Twitter : “Are we really to believe this? No name of the lucky finder. No photograph of the found treasure at the site. But we do know five people died in past years trying to find the Fenn treasure. maybe this is his way of just calling off the hunt and preventing more loss of life.”
Another added: “I’m calling bulls*** on the Forrest Fenn treasure. The Rocky Mountain treasure never existed.”
Others simply said, “prove it”.
Previously Fenn had said the chest weighs 20lb while its contents weigh another 22lb.
He said he took the chest to its hiding place by himself over two separate trips.
Asked how he felt now the hunt was finally over, he said: “I don’t know, I feel halfway kind of glad, halfway kind of sad because the chase is over.”
