LOST RING, CARMEL, IN

I had recently moved to Carmel, IN, and was itching to take on my next ring recovery. Not long after, I received a call from Dylan, who had lost no ordinary wedding ring. It had belonged to his grandfather, who had it crafted from the wedding rings of his own parents, Dylan’s great-grandparents. Generations of family history were tied into this single band. The ring slipped off at Hueston Woods State Park in Ohio, beneath a small waterfall pool where family and friends were escaping the heat.

The moment the ring was lost was chaotic and memorable. A group of kids upstream had been exploring the shallow river when they spotted a water snake and began chasing it, right toward the parents. The snake splashed into the pool, prompting a quick scramble to the surface. After nearly escaping, Dylan realized his ring was missing. Devastated, he returned the following week with a rented metal detector; however, his search was interrupted by the same snake!

Recovering the ring wouldn’t be simple. Since the ring had been lost in a state park where metal detecting is typically prohibited, I first contacted park staff and received written permission. I began the search in the pool and quickly realized I wouldn’t be able to dig due to the shale rock bottom. I had to resort to diving with a mask and retrieve every signal by hand. After several dives and plenty of lures, coins, and bits of trash, no ring was in sight. Near the edge of the pool, the detector finally gave a strong signal. I lifted a large flat stone, and there it was!

Handing the ring back to Dylan and seeing the relief on his face is something I will never forget. Recoveries like this remind me that sometimes we return more than a lost ring. We return a piece of a family’s story.