In 2022, Damien Boschetto was walking his dog in the forest near his home in the small village of Cruzy in Southern France.
He came upon a partially exposed cliff face revealing what he described as “various skeletons.” This trail had been open for at least 30 years and no one had ever reported seeing anything unusual. But Damien said it was obvious to him that there were bones in there, so he shared his discovery with members of the Archaeological and Paleontological Cultural Association (ACAP) at the Cruzy Museum.
After a few weeks of work they told Damien not only were they bones but part of a nearly complete skeleton of a massive long-necked titanosaur who roamed the earth during the Upper Cretaceous period around 70-million years ago.
Over two years, Damien became obsessed with this project and alongside the ACAP members painstakingly worked to unearth the 70% complete skeleton from the dense sandstone so it could be used for research and enjoyed by the public.
Now the titanosaur fossil is on display at the Cruzy Museum, where it serves as a flagship piece for dinosaur enthusiasts. The museum’s founder says that Damien has a knack for dinosaur research.
Damien was so inspired by the experience that he has his job in the energy sector, and is now pursuing a degree in paleontology. "I liked my job but now I'm fueled with a passion for this career that I never could have imagined. I'm so happy my dog and I went for a walk".