A stolen jewelry box has been reunited with its owner after it was dumped into the ocean.

Investigators tell News 12 a burglar apparently removed items that could be sold and then tossed the box into the ocean.

Bridgeport police say an "Easter miracle" occurred when an officer's wife found the jewelry box at Seaside Park and turned it over to police.

Patrolman Michael Bouchard, who recently lost three family members, saw old photographs inside the box along with other heirlooms and knew the owner would want it back.

Bouchard is a part-time author who writes books about cold cases so he put his investigate skills to work. He began with an old ID belonging to a New York man and tracked down the man's son.

"I read what was on some of the pictures, he goes, 'those are my kids,'" Bouchard said. "'He says, 'that box is a box my father gave me in 1992 but it had been burglarized from my house and we never thought we'd see it again.'"

Sen. Richard Blumenthal honored Bouchard at the police department for going above and beyond to help the family, saying his efforts exemplify the best law enforcement has to offer.