Old Wedding Photo Lost During Vacaville Evacuations Reunited With Owner

VACAVILLE (CBS13) — A driveway discovery has given way to a relic reunion. After nearly a week-long search, a Vacaville woman tracked down the owner of an old wedding photo that was found after recent fire evacuations. 

"That she actually cared enough to go and start looking for the person behind the picture — I just thought it was such a wonderful thing that she did," Cindi Whaley said. "When I gave her a hug, I just knew we were going to be friends forever."

That forever friend is Yesenia Duran, Cindi's neighbor from up the way on Gibson Canyon Road.

"When I picked it up initially, I got chills. Just to see that it was so old," Yesenia said. 

The nearly 70-year-old wedding photo is of Cindi's parents, Marian and John Clark. Somehow it flew from Cindi's car as she raced to escape the flames during the LNU Lightning Complex Fire. It landed relatively unscathed in a driveway.

"What are the chances of her picking that up off the ground and bringing it in and then going out of her way to putting it on Facebook?" Cindi said. 

READ: Cherished Wedding Centerpiece Found Buried In The LNU Complex Fire Ashes As Families Return Home

Photo credit: Yesenia Duran

Yesenia's quest to find the rightful owner on Facebook, and CBS13, paid off after Cindi's nephew in Las Vegas saw the story, eventually connecting the two women.

"I came out with the picture in my hand and she just started crying. She kneeled and prayed and said I was her angel and that she wouldn't have known what she would've done without this picture," Yesenia said. 

"I call her my angel, she's my angel," Cindi said. "And I know mom and dad are up there right now and they're smiling on this whole thing."

It's a heartwarming reminder that even an evacuation blunder can turn into a blessing.

Cindi says she had no idea the photo was even lost until her family contacted her. Because of the evacuation order, she had not even unpacked anything from her car.