How to find a lost cross and chain on the beach, North Beach NJ, LBI, recovered by Edward Trapper, NJ Ring finder

I received a text about a lost cross and chain at the beach in North Beach, LBI. James had posted in one of the local Facebook groups that his son had lost the necklace while playing soccer with friends that afternoon. I immediately suggested he take the post down — it’s never a good idea to advertise the location of lost valuables on public social media.

After some back-and-forth texting, we arranged to meet the next afternoon after I got off work. Fortunately, the area where it was lost was a semi-private beach with limited public access, so I was hopeful it wouldn’t be disturbed overnight. James also mentioned that they had been playing far back toward the dunes, well away from the high tide line, so there was no concern about it being washed away.

When I arrived the next day, I met James’ son at their house. We walked up to the beach, and he described where they had been playing. The area was quite large — which can be tricky — but we talked through it and narrowed down the most likely spots.

About 15 minutes into the search, I got a faint, low signal that matched what I’d expect from a small chain and cross. I carefully scooped the sand, making sure not to damage anything. Once the sand sifted out, there it was — the cross sitting right at the bottom of the scoop.

His son had been looking at his phone and didn’t realize I’d found it, so I took the opportunity to have a little fun. I casually asked him if he was sure this was the right area. He confidently said yes — and then I told him to look in the scoop. The look on his face was priceless.

It’s always a great moment when someone gets their sentimental item back — and even better when they can pinpoint the location so accurately. Beaches can be huge and all too easy to lose track of the exact spot once the crowds clear.

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