Chests with items inside disappearing?

[MakaPakaUK]

I decided to have a big fishing trip (7am-9pm), and after filling my inventory with fish, I decided to put them in the chest that I had placed on the beach the same day. The chest was there to store all my fishing-related items such as the sailors cap, tackle etc. which I had gotten from winning the Ice Fishing the day before. The chest was placed on the sand and had iron fencing around it with a small gap for me to walk through. When I went to place my fish in the chest, the chest had disappeared along with all the items inside, a single iron fence directly behind where it was had been destroyed with the item just sitting on the floor.

I had quite a lot of fish placed in there before I began fishing, and I also had some sea weed which I don't really care about, but the recently obtained fishing tackle and the sailor cap - I do care about.

I assume this is Linus or someone else stealing, but none of my chests at my farm had been stolen or taken from before. The day of the incident was Tuesday 9th, Winter, Year 1 if that helps?

I would just like to know where my items went and whether I can retrieve them.

[Ekat]

Any chance a villager walked through the tiles of where your fence was? (e.g. Willy, Eliott(Alex and Haley if summer)) If a villager passed through the tiles, there is no hope. You'll have to reload or change your game files. Ask the user dino_inc about that.

[Wacope]

If you place anything in the path of an NPC it will be destroyed when they walk through it. It's happened to me a few times too.

[Chrizie]

General rule of thumb: Don't leave chests anywhere other than the farm.

[AeroGF]

It happened to me as well. So, now I use this map-guide to help me when placing chest.
https://stardewvalleywiki.com/Chest

[Crystal Purple]

I usually place chests on the beach, by the bus stop in the Calico Desert, by the ticket kiosk at the bus stop in SDV, by each of the lakes, near Clint's shop, and in the mine entrance. I've never had one disappear. I try to place them out of everyone's way, however. The one on the beach, specifically, I place just to the right of the statue where you arrive when you warp to the beach. I hadn't realized that folks walking through them would destroy the chests. That's good to know.

[Eneicia]

Crystal Purple lähetti viestin:

I usually place chests on the beach, by the bus stop in the Calico Desert, by the ticket kiosk at the bus stop in SDV, by each of the lakes, near Clint's shop, and in the mine entrance. I've never had one disappear. I try to place them out of everyone's way, however. The one on the beach, specifically, I place just to the right of the statue where you arrive when you warp to the beach. I hadn't realized that folks walking through them would destroy the chests. That's good to know.

Be careful with your chest on the beach. In summer Haley hangs out near there.