On Thursday, June 3rd, I received a phone call at approximately 1:30 PM. John was in desperate need of my services after his necklace had broken.
He and a group of friends were enjoying their day at Ferry Beach, Scarborough, ME, when the chain snapped and his Gold and Diamond pendant vanished into the sand. John and his friends had already spent 45 frantic minutes searching the area around their setup, but unfortunately, the diamond pendant was nowhere to be found.
I told John I would be there in 30-40 minutes, depending on Route 1 traffic, through Saco, Maine and the Town of Scarborough, Maine. He mentioned he had a pretty good idea of where it dropped—about a 10’ x 10’ area. A small space like that should be quick… if the pendant was actually there!
Cheryl and I left as soon as I gathered up my equipment, and Cheryl loaded up her beach chair. If this recovery turned out to be a long one, she was going to enjoy the beautiful afternoon on the beach! 🏖️
Once we arrived, John met us in the parking lot. He and his friends were set up at an area of the beach known as “The Point.” I knew « The Point » well—I actually recovered an engagement ring for a client there a few years back!
After a short 5-10 minute walk from the parking lot, we arrived at the group’s location. John and a few friends pointed to an area between a backpack and a sign. A couple of other friends thought it was closer to the beach towels.
As you all know by now, I do not like to jump around while performing a search. I strictly grid search from Point A to Point B. Because of that, I decided to start at the towels and work my way toward the backpack and sign so I wouldn’t have to double back.
Just before swinging, I placed a small gold ring in the sand to calibrate my metal detector and let the client see and hear exactly what tone I was looking for. Calibration finished, it was time to hunt.
I had taken exactly 8 steps when I heard it—the unmistakable low tone of gold.
Could this really be the pendant after just 18 seconds of searching? 🤔
As I probed the warm sand with my pinpointer, I found the target. The moment the group saw it, screams of “Oh my God!” and “That was so fast!” rang out across the beach. Arms went into the air and applause broke out.
Relief, happiness, and big smiles—it never gets old. Always a feel-good moment!
So, even though Cheryl never even got the chance to set up her beach chair, I consider a fast recovery a great day. Another precious pendant is right back where it belongs. We truly have the best job in the world, and I love what I do!
Remember: “If it matters to you, it matters to us.” 💍


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