Chalk up another one for social networks. This time Google+ reunited a DSLR owner with his lost at sea camera thanks to the power of the "hive mind".

Markus Thomson was scuba diving in Deep Bay British Columbia when he spotted a Canon EOS 1000D camera washed up near a wharf. He pulled the camera's SanDisk Extreme III SD card, cleaned it up and was able to recover about 50 photos dating back to August 2010. Thomson did the smart thing and posted the photos of a firefighter and his family on vacation on his Google+ account. Within a day the impressive Google+ hive mind was able to identify and track down the owner. Turns out the lucky owner is a Delta Fire Fighter and he will be reunited with his lost at sea camera. Social media is really turning the world into a very small place.

The firefighter will be happy to have his pictures back but it will take a lot of cleaning to get the grime of one year of being submerged under the sea can do to the camera. The Canon EOS Rebel XS is an entry-level DSLR with good image quality. built-in live view and a 7-point AF system. If the owner can get it working after the year it's had then buyers should seriously consider getting this camera, especially if they're going to go near the sea.