Brent & Sylvie Madison, Author at The Ring Finders

Tennis Anyone?

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TENNIS ANYONE?
Randy was visiting from Los Angeles with his extended family.
His sister-in-law had lost her bracelet in the sand on a remote beach – Kekaha Kai – on the West coast of the Big Island of Hawaii.
After a 4-wheel drive trip to the beach, the family met me in the gravel parking lot and we walked to the area they’d been at a few days earlier.
It was a simple bracelet, Randy said, but something with great sentimental value since his dad I had bought it for her 30 years earlier as a wedding gift in Malaysia.
I was running a new metal detector and was excited to put it thru its paces. Bracelets and necklaces are the hardest thing for detectors to find especially if the ends are not connected.
When the bracelet was lost, the family and their young grandkids had been playing in the sand, running into the ocean, fooling around with a rope swing and so on. The sister-in-law said the kids had be clambering all over her throughout the day – it could be anywhere.
I started to look in the water but suddenly changed my mind. After spending 15 years in Thailand, a nearby neighbor of Malaysia, I knew South East Asians typically (and wisely) avoided the hot sun of the day. Let’s look in the shade instead where everyone was now sitting…
I asked the group to move and at that moment Randy’s dad and I simultaneously spotted something sparkling poking out of the sand. He reached down and pulled out the bracelet from a pile of sand.
I’d been looking for a simple gold chain, but what came out was a 40-diamond strong gold tennis bracelet.
Needless to say we were all thrilled – the eyes were the best detector – but I’ll have to wait until next time to test my new machine!
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Detector makes final save before dying!

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I was really happy to have been able to help Liz recover a beautiful diamond ring set in white gold.

Her young daughter had earlier asked her why she was so sad – it was only the first day of their vacation on the Big Island – but they’d come to Hawaii for vacation and quickly lost one of her most valued items in the ocean.

The Fairmont Hotel in Mauna Lani gave Liz our number and we were quickly on the way from Kona with detectors in the car.

Meeting Liz, she explained she and her husband had swam around the area with mask and snorkel for hours but no luck.

I turned on my Minelab Equinox 800 – it had been a faithful detector in the past and I was sure I’d find the ring so long as it hadn’t been spotted by a swimmer or another detectorist. Sure enough, within 15 minutes of carefully combing the chest-deep water, I hit a big target and within seconds, the ring was back on Liz’s finger!

We took a few photos with Liz holding her recovered ring and my metal detector and said our goodbyes – it’s always a great feeling to be a successful part of someone’s Hawaii adventure.

I headed back for the water and hit the ‘on’ button on my Equinox. The familiar starting sound, then a strange low gurgle… I tried again. Same sound, then error codes on the screen. This detector is supposed to be waterproof to 10 feet and had only been in the water down two or three… I looked again and water started filling the screen and the detector let out a few chirping sounds, then went quiet.

This machine had recovered so many rings – but this would be the last. It made one final ring recovery before dying on the field.

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Still going strong!

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It’s been some time since we posted our finds online – we’ve been ring-finding all along but got way behind on reporting our ring and treasure recoveries!

Here’s a photo of a newly-wed who lost his ring in the water at the Fairmont Orchid Hotel, Waikoloa Beach, Hawaii.

He’d been married for 2 days…Thankfully he felt it come off his finger in the water so it was only a matter of seconds for me to find it!

 

Ring recovery from the water at Fairmont Orchid hotel, Waikoloa, Hawaii

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Kind testimonial from client for Big Island Metal Detecting

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AMAZING does not even begin to describe this couple! I lost my engagement ring and wedding band while playing football with my family at Hapuna Beach one night. I was inconsolable to say the least! We searched the water for a couple hours until night fell and I began to give up hope. Then my dad found these guys later that night. They responded quickly and met us at the beach the next morning. After searching the water for close to two hours, they found BOTH of my rings. I am forever grateful and I cannot recommend them enough!

 

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Two Rings Recovered at Hapuna Beach, Big Island, Hawaii

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Two for Two!
I went out on a ring find to Hapuna Beach after getting a late night call the previous evening from a distressed dad.
Jim had been playing catch in the water with his new son-in-law, while his daughter relaxed and read her book in the sand. After a short while the guys started egging her on to play with so reluctantly, Whitney joined them.
After Whitney caught a throw, Jim went after her in the surf to get the ball in a good-natured tackle. She stood up to find both her new engagement and wedding rings had gone flying.
That night when we got the call, Jim said Whitney was inconsolable. They’d stayed until the beach closed, trying to see a glimmer of the diamond cluster on the engagement ring, or waving gold of her new wedding band. Unfortunately, sand swallows most rings…
They met me in the morning at the spot in the surf. To my dismay, there were two detectorists already in the water nearby. I met Jim, Whitney and her new husband and started searching right away.
I was relieved to see that the two other detectorists were friends of mine, both of whom have collaborated with me in the past to return rings. Gregg was heading my way and he offered to help. After 30 minutes, I wasn’t having any luck and was happy to have the extra set of ears and eyes trying to find Whitney’s lost rings.
Within a few minutes Gregg called me over and showed me a glinting diamond ring in his basket. Jim and Whitney came running over and hugged me, Gregg and each other! Whitney’s husband was close behind and patted us on the shoulder and shook hands. Jim shed a few tears too – I think he’d been even more upset than his daughter!
Gregg went down the beach and I continued looking for the second ring. About 20 minutes later, and not far from the first, I got a strong signal and within moments had returned the diamond-studded wedding band.
It took two of us detectorists to find the two rings – and we were glad that Whitney was reunited with her treasures! Unfortunately I didn’t get the photo of us two detectorists but nonetheless, thanks for the help Gregg! Vacation saved!
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Men’s Wedding Ring Returned at Hilton Waikaloa, Hawaii

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Nathan and his wife were playing with their son in the lagoon at Hilton Waikaloa while on holiday from California.

Nathan sat in the shallow water next to the sun loungers and dug out sand like a construction digger to the joy of his son. To his own dismay, he realized his platinum wedding ring was missing. Trying to dig again led to nothing – no ring at all.

I got to the hotel early the next morning only to find that the Lavaman Kid’s race was being held in the exact spot his ring had gone missing. Hundreds of little feet were running over-and-over the spot in the water…

Once the event had wrapped up, I got out the detector and looked in the tight area Nathan was sure he’d lost the ring at. Nothing but coins, buttons and the usual stuff lost out of people’s pockets in water. I was using the Garrett Sea Hunter, which as a pulse-induction machine in the water, finds everything even the smallest objects. I searched for an hour with no luck.

It’s our experience that as sure as people are where they lost their treasure, the human mind and memory needs some extra feet added to a search area… I got out the Minelab Excal and broadened my search, this time adding about 20 feet to either side of the lagoon’s beach. I was starting to suspect that the ring may have kicked up during the kid’s race and someone may have found it.

The newly expanded search area yielded a cache of coins all in ankle-deep water. I dug a penny, then a dime, then a quarter. Nathan had been standing in the water watching. I thought to myself that it was a good « sign » – the coins seemed to be increasing in value (and weight) so the next find should be a ring! Seconds later I got a great tone and sure enough, it was Nathan’s ring.

Nathan gave me a hug, shook my hand and said he’d thought it was as good as lost! Overjoyed to find it for him – vacation saved!

 

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Lost Engagement Ring Lost and Found in Water near Mauna Kea Hotel, Hawaii

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«  »Team » has a French Ring to It! »

I was in the water, in the middle of a ring search, when my wife called me on my waterproof mobile phone.
Call this number when you’re finished your search! A couple had lost their engagement ring on a small beach near the Mauna Kea hotel.
I raced to the area and ran along the trail to access the beach. The sun was starting to go down and people were hiking out of the area. « Oh, good you’re coming – that lady is besides herself! » called one guy. Another group said, « She’ll be relieved you’re here! » said a group as I walked down to the sand with metal detector and scoop in hand. There seems to have been quite some drama and many people from the beach had been looking with them in the water for their lost gold and diamond engagement ring.
The couple greeted me and we got right in the water and marked out the area they’d been in. The tide was rising so I went as deep as I could stand in the water. Back and forth, I finally hit a target and was sure it was the ring – the couple came racing over and we were all disappointed to see it was a coin. As we were looking at the coin a group of young, French tourists came and in broken English, asked if they could help look. The water was so murky from the surf and low light that any help was welcome!
I kept on my search line and worked around the French « team » as they formed a line and went from deep to shallow with their masks on keeping in a wide line.
Just as we’d exhausted the search area – one of the young men swam up and handed a diamond ring to the fiance. The couple, myself and the French team all burst into shouts of victory – in English and French!
As the French man had broken the line and swam out beyond where we could stand, he’d seen a small flash and swam down to get it – sure enough, the ring had washed out with the tide but was still sitting on top of the hard-packed sand!
We walked back in and got a Team photograph – all giving the Hawaiian « shaka » as our international team symbol of victory. We learned a little French, they learned a little English – and there was a whole lot of International gratitude to all parties involved!

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Diamond Ring Found and Returned in the Sand at Kukio Beach, Big Island, Hawaii

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RIGHT WHERE WE SAID IT WASN’T!

Memory is a funny thing, especially under stress. So I often end up finding rings outside where they are « sure » to be!
So was it with Jayce and Jacqueline’s ring!

Jacqueline called me and I could hear in her voice she was feeling almost sick to her stomach.

It was her – and her extended family’s – first day in Hawaii and they’d gone to a tiny beach in the exclusive Kokio area to enjoy the ocean.

She’d noticed her wedding and engagement rings were loose, so carefully took them off – and also took Jayce’s wedding band – and placed them all in a pocket in her bag under the tree her large family was sheltering under.

She was thinking about the rings for a long time while enjoying the water and sunbathing – and sure enough, when she checked they were safe-and-sound, saw that her diamond ring was missing! How could it have fallen out?!

Her husband Jayce and other relatives of the family looked for hours through the sand under the little tree where they had lost the ring. Carefully they made a pile of stones and debris outside the area Jacqueline had been in, as they carefully sifted the sand with their fingers.

 

When they called me, they’d all but given up hope. I got there just an hour before sunset so got right to work. I decided to search where they were sure she’d lost it. Carefully, I made a careful search, being sure not to leave an inch uncovered. Every time I dug, Jacqueline’s father came over to inspect, disappointed over and over at the pennies and other junk I uncovered. Jacqueline couldn’t watch the repeated false alarms.

As I often do, I expanded my search area beyond where the ring is « sure to be ». I carefully searched the pile of rubble they’d made and listened carefully in case it was under it. « It’s not going to be there, » a few of them said as I got even further from the tree.

Then…I heard gold in the headphones and looked at her father. Jacqueline’s sister saw the look too and I dug with my sand scoop, ran over to see. On my third scoop, a diamond wedding ring…! Her father reached in and pulled it out. Suddenly they were all clapping and laughing – « It wasn’t there all along! » They almost cried in unison!

 

In the end, what had made the carefully placed ring disappear? A tiny hole in her bag had let the ring slip out.

The family left and I took a few photos of the quiet beach – and the little rock pile and said our little slogan – « We Save Marriages! » Glad to have looked for the ring where it wasn’t!

 

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Big Diamond Ring Lost, Found and Returned at the Fairmont Orchid, Big Island, Hawaii

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I could tell by Jessica’s voice that she was upset when she called – just the simple act of putting on sunscreen and her $10,000 wedding band had gone flying. She and her friends had searched for hours…
Trying to pick it up was useless – the sand on most beaches is a sure ring trap.
By the time I got to the Fairmont Orchid hotel, she and her friends were hopeful I could find it, helped in part by the beach bar!
I searched and produced coins, hair clips and various bits of junk but no diamond-rimmed, white gold ring. I finally moved her husband and friend sitting on the side of the search area on a double-cabana bed. Move the chairs too guys…!
As I searched in the new space – suddenly bang! I heard a gold – but not gold – sound in my headphones. Digging out what was definitely her big diamond ring, I saw the reason for the strange signal. Somehow an old penny had found itself inside the band, giving me a signal of junk-and-gold at the same time! Happy news for all – Jessica now had tears of joy…
 
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Lost Ring Recovered at Popular Snorkeling Reef on Hawaii’s Big Island

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« One Step, Two Step…Gone… »

Scott and Sue are visiting from the mainland and called to say Scott had lost his ring at Two Step, the popular snorkelling and diving spot in Captain Cook. It gets its name from literally two steps going off the lava flow into a bay with a beautiful reef and almost daily, dolphins swimming as they rest from the night’s hunt.
Two-Step is also full of coral and large rocks – and is actually quite a large place – so a lost ring could have fallen in one of a million holes never to be seen again.


Detectors aren’t great at finding rings over coral – first of all, the coil can bang into and damage corals so one has to be very careful when detecting around them, greatly slowing a search. Secondly, it’s hard for a metal detector to find objects over about 16 inches deep and most of the natural holes and spaces in coral goes deeper than that.
Scott and Sue arrived early in the morning and told me that the ring was lost two days earlier. Thankfully, he’d gone down the first step, down the second step and then dove in the water. As he turned to swim back to help his wife, the ring went flying. He and his friends had then spent the next three hours looking for it to no avail.
I geared up with a scuba tank and slipped into the water. The fresh water seeping out of the rocks made it hard to actually see – almost like looking through a clear kaleidoscope at times. Big rocks and piles of broken shell are immediately around the entrance area and I looked in about 8 feet of water – peering into crevasses and crannies, detecting the tiny pukas (holes) made by sea urchins, and the big rocks that had piled up from the recent, large surf. Glimmering from under one rock pile was a large, gold men’s ring hiding among the stones.


Scott helped me out and they couldn’t believe I’d found it having had searched so long in the same place. Scott had the ring for 38 years and said he was going to buy a silicone ring and put this one in a safety deposit box!
Glad to have helped out!

If you’re on the Big Island of Hawaii and have lost something valuable – call us immediatelyat (808) 430 5660!

 

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