“Doing god’s work”: Geoguessr star Rainbolt helps family track down 40-year-old memorial to honor dying grandmother’s wish
Geoguessr might be best known as a competitive geography game, but for one family, it became the key to closure. When their grandmother passed away in March, her final wish was to have her ashes laid beside her late husband’s in the desert. The only problem: no one could remember where his friends had placed a bowling ball to mark the spot more than 40 years ago.
With only a handful of old photos to go on, the family turned to Geoguessr star Trevor “Rainbolt” Rainbolt, who managed to pinpoint the exact location, allowing them to reunite the couple at last.
Rainbolt helps track down a family's forgotten bowling ball marker in the desert
Recently, one fan messaged Rainbolt with a request far more emotional than the typical forgotten restaurant mystery. Her grandfather, who passed away in the 1980s, had his ashes scattered in the desert by friends. As a tribute, they left one of his bowling balls cemented in a rocky outcrop. For decades, the object marked the spot, but its exact location was forgotten.
When the woman’s grandmother died in March 2025, she asked to have her ashes placed alongside her husband’s. That wish left the family with a problem: no one knew where to find the bowling ball. The only evidence left was a few old photographs.
Rather than dismiss the challenge, Rainbolt dove in. He studied the pictures carefully, analyzing the landscape for small visual cues. Then, he sent back a set of coordinates. The family drove out to the desert to see if he was right. Against all odds, the ball was still there, untouched after 40 years. The family was able to lay the grandmother’s ashes at the same site, reuniting the couple in the way she had hoped.
"While finding a bowling ball in the middle of the desert seems impossible, it’s only impossible until someone does it," Rainbolt said in his TikTok video. "Forty years later, the bowling ball is still there. Betty and Bob were able to be together once again."
@georainbolt together again 🫶
What is Geoguessr and who is Rainbolt?
Geoguessr isn’t just a geography game; it’s a test of observation. The browser-based game drops players into random Google Street View locations, where they must deduce their whereabouts using clues like road signs, architecture, plant life, or even license plates. It is an educational tool and a competition space.
Few people are better at it than YouTuber Trevor Rainbolt, known simply as “Rainbolt” online. His rapid-fire guesses and near-perfect accuracy have turned him into one of the most recognizable faces in the Geoguessr community. Millions follow him across social platforms, where he entertains fans with everything from lighthearted puzzles to surprisingly meaningful location hunts.
Fans react to the wholesome moment
Rainbolt shared the story on his TikTok account on Aug 13, 2025, with photo montages and a video shot by the family. The video spread rapidly, with over 2.9 million views and 506.4K likes. Comments poured in from fans praising Rainbolt’s work.
"We made the right person famous," one viewer declared. Another wrote, "Bro actually used his power for good."
Many praised Rainbolt for focusing on the family’s closure rather than his own skill set. "You can tell he’s genuine in this too," a TikToker wrote, "because he didn’t give some villain monologue or tutorial on how he found the spot, he just told the story, and helped a family find closure."
@georainbolt did not respond immediately to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via TikTok DM.
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