A Man Hunting for Treasure Discovered a Safe on the Ocean Floor. What He Unlocked Was the Last Thing He Expected 

A man in Australia is in disbelief after unlocking a safe found on the ocean floor.

Quoin Sellenger recovered a small safe from the Indian Ocean off the coast of Shark Bay in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia last week, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported. 

Recalling how a friend had spotted the safe in the water, Sellenger told the outlet, “There is a little reef between Denham and Eagle Bluff, and he was diving there with his family and his boat was drifting off, and he rang me up.”

“He said, ‘Quoin, I have found a safe in the ocean,’ ” Sellenger continued. His 13-year-old daughter, Belle, then joined him on a jet ski to retrieve the box and take it to the shore.

Sellenger revealed his findings in a post on a local Facebook page on Jan. 3, writing, “If anyone is missing a safe, I have it found between Denham and Eagle Bluff ID Required and description of goods required for collection,” alongside a photo of himself posing with the box.

He told the ABC of the response, “A lot of jokes like ‘Yeah that belongs in Safety Bay,’ or ‘It looks like it’s in safe hands,'” adding, “A lot of dad jokes, it makes for entertainment, and I think people are as intrigued as I am about finding a safe in the ocean of all places in Shark Bay.”

Sellenger and his friend Brad ended up opening the safe, which had a strong smell inside, using an angle grinder to carve a hole in the back of it.

“To be honest, especially cause my mate wouldn’t pick it up and take it, I was actually nervous,” Sellenger admitted, per ABC. “I actually didn’t want to be there on my own, opening up a safe from the ocean.”

Inside, the pair discovered a couple of hinges and a 30g packet of food labeled the world’s hottest beef jerky, which appeared to have expired four years ago. 

“I was hoping there was like a big gold bar in there, I guess,” Sellenger told the ABC.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.  

He added in an interview with 7News Regional WA, “We open up the safe, and to our surprise, there was a smelly packet of … beef jerky!”

“I was hoping there was maybe someone’s wedding ring in there, or Rose’s Titanic jewel of the ocean, or something like that,” he joked to the outlet.

Sellenger said he feels like “someone’s actually playing a prank on someone,” adding to the ABC, “It’s a very well-known reef in Shark Bay, and someone has put it there with the intention of it being found, I believe.”

Sellenger — who has since handed the safe over to the Western Australia (WA) Police Force — told the ABC that despite finding a variety of items “washed up on the beach” over the years, he hadn’t found anything “as interesting as a safe” before.

WA Police didn’t immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information. PEOPLE has also reached out to Quoin Sellenger for comment.