Gold found on Ocracoke

Editor’s note: This story was first published in the May 2026 Ocracoke Observer issue.

By Connie Leinbach

It wasn’t the fabled Blackbeard’s treasure, but finding a gold Chilly Water can was almost like finding a Golden Ticket to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.

Chilly Water, a company in Kinston, sells water in cans, which are more environmentally friendly than plastic.

The company has a promotion this year in which they hid 10 gold cans in their 12-packs.

Islander Megan Aldridge recently found the first one in a pack she purchased at the Ocracoke Variety Store.

Prizes include $350 in cash, merchandise and a private tour of the plant on Dec. 1.

“I don’t think I’ve ever won anything in my life,” Aldridge gushed. “It’s fun; it’s exciting.”

Aldridge has already received her cash prize and is awaiting the others.

Tommy Hutcherson, Variety Store owner, said Carolina Ice has been supplying the store with ice for many years and last year ventured into canned water, naming it Chilly Water.

“It’s pretty cool that a gold can was found here,” he said.

“At Chilly Water, aluminum wasn’t a branding decision,” the company says on its website: http://www.chillywater.com. “It was the most responsible choice for protecting clean water and reducing long-term waste.”