Cheryl and I had only been home 20 minutes, from a trip to Davenport, Iowa and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, when I received the following text message.
“ Hello Dennis, I’m in need of a Ring Finder—my wife lost her gold wedding ring in the grass in our front yard, hoping you can help us locate it. I live in Wells. Thanks, Mark D*****”.
I immediately called Mark. Mark explained that 2 years earlier his wife lost her gold wedding ring, while mowing a small section of their front lawn, in the Town of Wells, Maine. His wife, Tracy, had mowed the small section of lawn and went into the house, where she noticed her wedding ring was missing. Tracy immediately went back outside and searched for the ring but cound not find it. Subsequent searches, with Mark, also proved futile. Like most people, they thought the ring was gone forever.
Fast forward to 2 years later and Mark is online, researching metal detectors to rent, when he sees information about The Ring Finders of Maine. Knowing absolutely nothing about metl detectors, Mark decided that we would be a better option, than renting a metal detector. I have to say, I agree 100%. I can’t tell you how often I get called to find a ring, after the client has already rented a metal detector but can’t find the ring. My clients tell me that the detector keeps beeping and making all kinds of noise but there is nothing there and they just don’t understand why. Frustration sets in and they end up calling us.
I tell Mark that I can certainly drive down to Wells and search but had a few concerns I wanted to convey to him. First, twos years is a long time but thankfully the ring was on private property. Secondly, I told Mark that because of two years of yardwork, the ring could have been moved, a great distance. Two years of mowing the lawn could have thrown the ring, after the blades had hit it. Raking or mulching the leaves for two years could have moved the ring. Mark understood and told me that the leaves only get blown, not raked or mulched. The leaves were blown into the same area. Ok, thats a positive because I can certainly search the pile of leaves. Mark and I agreed that I would arrive at 8:00am, the next morning and begin the search.
Once I arrived at Mark’s home. I saw Mark mowing the lawn. I would normally cringe when I see someone mowing the lawn, after losing a ring but after 2 years, the ring was already moved or slightly in the ground or thached grass. Mark came over to me and showd me the area he had just mowed and told me that was the same section where his wife had mowed and they were hoping the ring was still there. I then threw a gold test ring onto the lawn and it disappeard into the grass. I then showed Mark how the metal detector would sound when I ran the coil over the ring. I like showing the client how this works and they appreciate the demonstration. While doing the demonstration, I also get to setup the metal detector and calibrate it, to my liking, for the search. Everyone now knows the detector is working. I told Mark I would do a grid search, going East to West and if I wasn’t able to find the ring, I would then search the piles of leaves, from the last few years. If the ring wasn’t found there I would then search the lawn once again, this time North to South. I Started along the driveway, near the street and almost immediately, I received a loud, strong target, reading 26-27 on my Minelab Manticore. Definitly a target in the gold range but also the classic nickle TID (Target ID). My detector was also showing a depth of 0-2 inches. Another good sign. My pinpointer was picking up the target but we couldnt see anything, on top of the grass and soild. I then dug the target and it was a nickle, about 1 ince in the ground. Resuming the search I was hearing a few targets but some were ferrous and some were 5-7 inches deep and absolutely not in the gold range. My next diggable target had a TID of 22 and was a low tone, both great signs. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a shot .22 bullet. I have now been grid searching for 15-20 minutes and had half of the lawn coverd, when I received another TID of 26-27 ans a low tone, exactly like the nickle, just 15 minutes or so earlier. This one however, just sounded better than a nickle. A slightly lower tone and the tone repeatibility got me excited. I told Mark that I really liked this target, but couldn’t guarntee it was the ring but I really liked it. Once again, the pinpointer picked up the target but I colddn’t see anything. I dug a small plug, carefully, so as not to damage the target. As I pulled the plug back, I saw a very small piece a a shiny gold ring. I could believe it but I couldn’t believe it. It never gets old seeing gold come out of the ground, especially when the owner is right there to witness it. I yelled over to Mark that I had found the ring and he rushed right over, dropping to his knees to see the ring. Mark was looking in the hole and could’t see the ring. Once he realized it was in the plug , I told him he could have the honor of removing the ring from the soil and thatched grass. As he removed the ring and was cleaning it, still on his kness,, I asked “Is that it?”. Mark very excitedly says “Thats it, HOLY COW.”. What a great moment to see. Mark thanked me over and over and was smiling ear to ear. Unforunately, his wife, Tracy, wasn’t home as she had already left for work. It would have been great to meet her and see her, I’m sure, very happy emotions. I then shook Mark’s hand as I was getting ready to leave. Mark was headed into his home to put the ring, in a safe place and to call Tracy.
Another ring back on the finger, after two years of being lost. We have the best job in the world and I love my job. Remember, “If it matters to you, it matters to us.”
A few recommendations! Not all rings survive being lost while mowing. As soon as you notice your ring missing, stop mowing and call us, to search the yard. If you continue to mow, rake, mulch, blow leaves, bag up leaves, etc., you could potentially throw the ring out of the area, damage the ring beyond repair or throw the ring away, in the grass clippings or leaves. Do not do anything to the lawn, until we can search it.
This is also a lesson on never giving up on locating a ost ring. Two years lost is a long time but in the past few years we have recovered rings that had been lost in 1982 and 1997. Thats right, lost in the ground for 27 and 42 years respectivly. If you have lost a ring, years ago, on your property, give us a clall. We can’t find your ring, if we aren’t searching for it. If your ring is there, it is possible it could still be recoverable, as long as it hasn’t been moved, out of the area.
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