Father-son duo hunt down $10,000 in Spokane treasure hunt
Around 2 a.m. on Saturday, a father and son dug into the dirt beneath a semitruck in Rockford, their hearts beating furiously as they searched for $10,000.
This treasure hunt was part of a marketing campaign for Wyze, a “smart-home” company that was founded in Seattle seven years ago, CMO Dave Crosby said in an interview. The company’s most popular products are cameras, which were used to livestream the spot where the “treasure” was hidden, just past East Cameron Road off of state Route 27 south of Spokane.
Nathan Coleman and his 15-year-old son, Jackson, embarked on their search for the hidden $10,000 starting around midnight Saturday.
The treasure hunt, the third put on by Wyze, was meant to last anywhere between 10-14 days.
“I thought it’d be a fun way to engage with the community here,” Crosby said.
What started as an expected multiday endeavor by the Colemans instead ended after a few adrenaline-fueled hours of riddle-solving, car-honking and technology-assisted sleuthing that the Colemans will remember forever.
“I didn’t think we were going to find it, but I’m glad we did. It was the best bonding time I’ve had with my dad. It was so crazy it didn’t feel real,” Jackson Coleman said. “My dad’s always been one of my closest friends.”
The Colemans started looking at the four clues Wyze left online Friday night at around 10 p.m.
Wyze had advertised on a billboard that $10,000 was hidden near the sign. After the billboard was up and the treasure hunt began, Wyze updated its website every day, posting a new clue for treasure hunters each day. The Colemans started looking for the money on Friday night after four clues posted.
When they quickly narrowed it down to two specific areas on the map, the Colemans hit the road with a strategy: a car horn.
As they drove closer to where they thought the treasure was hidden, Nathan Coleman honked every few minutes and then listened for the horn on the camera’s live feed.
When they first drove past the spot where the treasure was eventually found off of State Route 27, Nathan didn’t honk his horn because a car was driving behind them. But a short time later Jackson said he had a feeling the treasure was there because there were a lot of trucks and trailers in that area, which were alluded to in one of the clues. So they turned around and as they drove by, Nathan honked the horn.
Around 30 seconds later, they heard a faint honk on the livestream. Then, to be sure, Nathan honked the horn twice. After waiting 30 seconds, they heard the honks on the livestream.
“We just both exploded,” Nathan Coleman said. “Jackson called my wife, his mom, and was like, ‘We found it!’ ” By the end of the adventure, Jackson Coleman said his dad had honked his horn 151 times as they zeroed in on the treasure.
After the phone call, Nathan’s wife and daughter immediately pulled up the livestream and waited for the two to come on screen as Nathan and Jackson Coleman looked for the camera that was filming the spot. It was underneath a semi-trailer.
Jackson Coleman immediately ducked under the trailer and started digging for the treasure. His hands were shaking.
“I was not expecting to find it. I just wanted to go out and have a good time with my dad,” Jackson Coleman said.
The Colemans have plenty of plans for the money. The list includes supplies for Jackson Coleman to use for his music (he has three singles out on YouTube and hopes to do more), maybe help with a new car or a bit for the kids’ college funds.
Crosby and his family moved to Spokane a few years ago and quickly connected with Chad Goldsmith, who owns Fusion Seed Co. with his wife. So, when Crosby was looking for a location to hide the “treasure,” he asked Goldsmith, who told Crosby about a location for his seed company that met all the qualifications Crosby was looking for. The property is right along State Route 27 and has internet access, even though it’s fairly remote.
Wyze will probably do another treasure hunt in October, but Crosby says it will likely be in a different city.