Don Wilson, Author at The Ring Finders | Page 5 of 6

My Daughter Lost my Key Fob Somewhere on our Street!

  • from Dallas (Texas, United States)
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We got a call about 5:30pm from a customer that we had help several months ago, her daughter had lost daddy’s very special knife in the high grass.  We were able to find it and created a happy customer.

This same lady’s neighbor’s daughter grabbed her mom’s car keys and ran through the yards of about 5 homes chasing a dog and then ran back to her house.  Now you need to understand these are hugh yards, 100-200 ft across per yard.  All the neighbors and family had been looking for 1 key and key fob that had fallen off.

Our previous client came home and heard about the keys and immediately said « I know who to call, lets call « The Ring Finders »,  she gave us a call and explained what happened and we said let a us grab a quick dinner and we would head that way.

We arrived and chatted with the owner of the keys, the little girls dad, the little girl was in bed being punished for losing mom’s keys.   He explained where she had run and told us we had permission to scan all 5 of his neighbors yards.  Ellen & I got our Garrett ATPro’s and began to search, some areas were very thick grass.  About 5 minutes after we started my son and his girlfriend arrived to assist.  Sometimes just more eyes in a situation helps, it was starting to get dark.

We all spread out and it 5 minutes I hear my son say « Found It »  we all ran to him, including the owner and all his neighbors, my son was not even using a detector, just walking and looking.  As I told him, son we do not care how it gets found only that it gets found.

Everyone was happy the father said it would have cost him $300-$400 per replace the key fob for his wife’s car.

So from a referral comes another successful hunt for « The Dallas Ring Finders »

Don & Ellen with assistance from Tripp & Shannon

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Lost Wedding Band while Tube Fishing at Lake Lavon,Tx

  • from Dallas (Texas, United States)
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We received an email from Crystal after she did a exhaustive google search to find someone to help her husband find his wedding ring.  Her  husband Aaron had been tube fishing on Lake Lavon in Texas all day long.  He had no idea where he lost the ring and I think really did not expect us to find it.

Trying to coordinate schedules for us to make the hour drive out to the lake took several days, so today when we all arrived at the lake the ring had been lost for 9 days.  We arrived about 9am and met Aaron & Crystal,  remember he was very unsure where he lost the ring, in fact he thought it was probably out in 20-25 ft deep water where he had been tube fishing.

Aaron showed us the area where he and his buddy cleaned the fish in a picnic area.  Ellen & I got out both of our Garrett ATPro’s and began the search.  Aaron and Crystal took a walk down the beach while we were detecting.  We had only been there 20 minutes when we spotted the Silver Carbonite Wedding Band.  We could not believe we found it, this was one of those searches you go on almost knowing its going to be a long shot at best.

BUT, it turned into a awesome day.  Ellen & I walked down the beach and Aaron & his wife spotted us and began walking back our way.  As we got close to them I said « Boy the lake is really low » instantly you could see their faces get a little sad thinking we had not  found the ring and already given up.

THEN, I said, « Aaron let me ask you a question, would you like to have this back » and I held up his ring.  As you can see in the pictures, they were ecstatic and could not thank us enough.

What a wonderful hobby we have and the joy we get to bring to people when we find their lost item.

Another successful hunt for « The Dallas Ring Finders »

Don & Ellen

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Lost Ring at our Lake House in Lake Worth, Texas

  • from Dallas (Texas, United States)
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We got the call from a doctor who was sitting out in a lawn chair at his home on Lake Worth just outside watching the beautiful sunset.  He was playing with his wedding ring and  it came off and fell into his very steep, very thick grass.

He and his family looked for several hours with no luck.  They were convinced that the ring had fallen off and rolled into the lake, the yard is very steep.

The next day he found « The Ring Finders » website and called us to come find his ring.  We arrived and within 5 minutes had located his ring.  He was astounded and said if he did not know better he would have said it was a setup.  He was very pleased.

Another happy customer for « The Dallas Ring Finders »

Don & Ellen

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Found Lost Wedding Ring in Lake Wilson in Weatherford,Tx

  • from Dallas (Texas, United States)
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We got a call from the gentleman above late on a Friday afternoon.  Said he had fallen out of a boat on a small private lake in Weatherford,Tx and wondered if we would come try to find it.  I said we would be happy to but it would have to wait a week as were on our way to the airport to leave for vacation in Cancun for a few days.  I loved his response, he said « well it ain’t going nowhere ».  We agreed I would call him in a week when we returned.

As promised we called the following week and spoke with John about his ring, he explained that he and a friend were coming in from fishing on a small boat, he had stood up just at the moment his friend decided to pull the boat up a little higher on the bank.  When that happen, John lost his footing and fell into the lake.  He said he could feel his wedding band slipping off but could do nothing about it.  The waters edge was slippery and covered in algae and dropped off about 5-6ft in depth.

John found « The Ring Finders » website and located us.

Ellen & I drove 75 miles to the spot on the highway to meet John and have him and buddy lead us back on the dirt roads to where the lake was.  I set up my gear and went into the lake, it was amazing how deep it got so close to the shore.  John told me while I was in the water that he had used swimming pool cleaning poles to try and drag the ring up on shore and he also had a friend bring out his metal detector but no luck finding the ring.  I spent maybe 20 minutes in the water getting a feel for the area where John thought the ring would be.  I was getting lots of hits on my detector and using my water scoop was very difficult in the muddy bottoms.   As I went to change hands with my equipment my detector passed over a flat rock covered in algae  and my Garrett AT Pro went off loudly so I knew something was there.  I reached over with my hand and felt along the top of the rock and there was John’s wedding ring.  My wife and John had been talking along the bank and I said « hey John would you like to have your ring back? » and held up his gold wedding band .   He was flabbergasted, he said over and over « I thought I would never see it again ».  These reactions are what make this so much fun.

My wife was filming with her IPhone and began to ask John some questions.  He said this was the first time this ring had been off his finger in 57 YEARS.  He buddy then said, ‘tell them what you did’.  John replied with a sheepish grin, « I did not tell my wife »  he said I have a friend who owns a Pawn Shop who got him a temporary wedding ban to wear until we could hopefully find his ring.  We laugh and laughed.  Then John said…. « I wonder if the Pawn Shop with take the other ring back ».

It was a wonderful day.

Another great find for « The Ring Finders »

Don & Ellen Wilson

 

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Found Wedding Ring in Trophy Club,Texas

  • from Dallas (Texas, United States)
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We received a call from a lady who said « thank God I reached you »I have a lost ring for you to find.  I said OK and ask for the details.  She described it as a Men’s gold wedding ban.  I ask her where is was lost and she said in her backyard.  I ask as I always do, « are you sure that’s where you lost it » and she said she was positive.

I said OK then we can find it, then I asked the most important question.  How was the ring lost, what was he doing when he lost it……. there was a long silence and she said « I know it’s there because I threw it there ».  I said that was no problem and we would drive the 28 miles to Trophy Club,Tx around 7pm to let the heat go down, it was 101 degrees warm.

We arrived at a beautiful home, got our equipment out, the lady kindly showed us where she was when she threw the ring and then my wife her re-inact the event (this is a must we have learned).  We spent maybe 20 minutes detecting the yard and there was a lot of underground trash.  We knew the ring would « Hit Hard » on our detectors because it had only been 3 days since it was lost and men’s wedding bands are typically large in size.

We were correct in our assumptions and the Ring was returned for another happy customer for « The Ring Finders ».

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Don & Ellen – The Dallas Ring Finders »

PS…. the husband was in counseling while we were looking for the ring.

 

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Fireman Looses Grandfathers Wedding Band while Fighting Brush Fire, Fort Worth,Texas – Found!

  • from Dallas (Texas, United States)
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Fort Worth,Texas Fire Fighter Looses Grandfathers Wedding Ring in while Fighting Brush Fire!

On Friday afternoon we received a call from a Fort Worth fire fighter.  He said that he and his crew had been fighting a brush/fence fire behind a home where a woman had thrown out some 2-day old fireplace coals.  The coals had set the compost pile and fence and part of the yards of 2 homes on fire.  He said his buddy had lost his Grandfathers ring which he now wears as a Wedding Ring.  It was 3pm on Friday afternoon, they were 52 miles away across Dallas & Fort Worth and 5pm Friday afternoon traffic was a major contention.  I knew it would take a minimum of 2 hours to drive there so I asked if we could come on Saturday due to traffic, but the young firefighter had panic in voice and ask us to please come.

How can you say ‘no’ to a Fire Fighter?  It took us nearly 3 hours to get there due to the heavy traffic.

He was waiting for us when we arrived and explained that he had been inside the backyard of the home and was knocking out the burning fence slats with the palm of his hand while fighting the fire.   He knew exactly where he was standing (in the wet, smelly compost pile) when it came off, and it was lightly raining… Get the picture?, pretty much a yuck site.

With a desperate customer, our Garrett equipment and rubber boots we went to work.  Thinking the ring flew off some distance into the field behind the home, we searched everywhere.  Eliminating nails, iron, junk, etc. doing everything we could to find the ring.   After an hour it was starting to get dark and everyone was loosing hope my wife went back into the backyard and began slowly going through the compost pile with her detector and pinpointer.  Understand this compost pile was about 18-inches thick and 5-ft by 5-ft  in size.  It was soaking wet from the fire being put out, burnt from catching on fire and wet burned trash just really stinks. But this is what the fireman was standing on when he was knocking out the burning fence slats.  I was coming into the backyard to help her when I heard her yell out « I Found It », the fireman was standing right there when she found his ring, he was so excited.  He kept saying « you guys are awesome, you guys are awesome, unbelievable!, wait till I tell the guys back at the station! ».

This was by far our dirtiest  hunt, but one of our most rewarding.

Our Firefighters across this country will run into a burning home or building for us without thinking twice about it, the least we can do is work through muck to find a wedding ring for them.

This was a very emotional find for us and we are so glad to be part of « The Ring Finders ».

Till next time, detectors ON!

Don & Ellen

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Palladium Wedding Found in Double Oak, Texas

  • from Dallas (Texas, United States)
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We got a call from a wonderful lady that said her husband (a pilot) had lost his ring while working in their front yard.  He was standing in a culvert ditch tossing some large rocks from one side of the driveway to the other and felt his ring slid off; he said he heard it « tink » twice but never saw it land.  He and his family searched for months looking for the ring without luck. He bought a cheap metal detector himself  but without success, his father-in-law came over with another detector but had no luck either.  Months past and his wife was playing around on the internet and found « The Ring Finders » website and called us.

We arrived and met with the couple, I truly think the husband felt is was a lost cause.  The ring had be lost for over 6 months. With the snowy/wet weather we have had this year he felt it was lost forever.

My wife & I got our Garrett Detectors and went to searching; we checked everywhere the husband said he thought is might be but had no luck.  So we went back over to where he stated he had been standing originally when he lost the ring.   The ditch was knee deep in leaves, trash, mud and an 18-inch metal pipe that went under their driveway.   After scanning over that area many times we decided everything had to come out of the ditch due to way too many hits on trash.  So on our hands and knees we began to pull out all the leaves and junk using our Garrett pinpointers to check every handful of trash for the ring.  After a short time I saw something shiny and I told my wife « I Got It ».  There stuck in the mud, 5-8 inches down in the muck, right where the husband had been standing throwing the rocks was his ring.  The « Tinking Sound » he heard must have been the ring hitting the metal culvert not the driveway as he thought.  The ring was in great shape.

And for the fun part, we went up to the door and rang the bell, the wife came to the door and she said « No Luck Huh » and we just smiled and I open my hand revealing her husbands « Palladium Wedding Ring », she said « Oh my gosh, let me go get him »  he was thrilled and we had « Another Successful Hunt for the the Dallas Ring Finders ».

God I love this hobby!

Till next time, detectors ON!

Don & Ellen

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Lost Knife in Dallas,Tx Found

  • from Dallas (Texas, United States)
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We received an email from a very nice lady stating that her husband’s small pocket knife was lost in their yard.   We thought it was a little unusual to get a call on a knife but we are always excited to help people .  As we talked further we found out that the family had gone out and cut down 2 Christmas Trees this year and had strapped them to the top of the family SUV.  Upon arriving at home the father had pulled out his very special 3″ knife that his wife had given to him as a gift on their wedding day.  He used it to cut the rope holding the Christmas Trees to the SUV and then gave it to his oldest 10yr old daughter Ally to cut the other side.  She cut the rope and put the knife in her top pocket of her jacket and helped her dad and sisters drag the 2 trees into the house.  After getting the trees inside, she realize the knife was no longer in her pocket.  After 3 days of searching the 3″ thick grass cover in large leaves they had nearly given up.  10yr old Ally was heart broken at losing her daddy’s special knife. 

Ally’s mom got on the internet and found our « The Ring Finders » website .  She called and my wife and I set a time come by.  Upon arriving at their home we had a roughly 80ft by 40ft area of thick grass and leaves.  We got out our equipment and I began the search.  My wife’s ACE250 was acting funny  and she decided to just let me hunt.  She had her pinpointer with her while talking to the customer.  As you can imagine at every beep our detectors or pinpointers made the 3 daughters were right their with us looking for the knife.  Finally I suggested to the mom that they go check the SUV one more time while we continued the search of the yard.  My wife just sat down in the beautiful yard and kinda of just moved her pinpointer around and it went off.  She said « Don, go get the girls, I GOT IT ».   Ally the daughter who lost the knife came running out and grabbed the knife out of the yard and held it to her chest, she was almost in tears.

Ally and her family thanked us and thank us and then even took pick pictures with us and our equipment so they could so their dad.  Just another happy customer for « The Ring Finders ».

This hobby is so much fun!

Don & Ellen Wilson

The Dallas Ring Finders!

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Shannon’s Husband Wedding Ring Lost now Found!

  • from Dallas (Texas, United States)
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Ellen & I got a call from our « The Ring Finders » website.  It as about 8pm on Sunday evening.  Shannon said that she and her husband had been at the local recreation center playground.  Her husband took off his wedding ring and put it in his pocket so he would not scratch it while working out using the playground equipment as a gym.

Upon returning home he realized his ring was gone.  He and Shannon searched for 6 days looking for the ring.  She found us on the web and called. I told her I would come on on Monday morning after 9am, but after hearing her voice and talking to my wife.  My wife convinced me to go do our 1st night search. We had our headlamps and our flashlight and the playground was in a nice area of town, so we decided to give it a try.

After 20 minutes of searching in the dark I hit something strong and thought to myself, I got it… but no it was a child’s charm bracelet.  I stood up and got another hit just 2 feet from the bracelet.  I bent down using my pinpointer and light and there was the ring.  I had to use the flashlight to be sure I had Shannon’s husband’s ring.  It was.

I called Shannon at 9:30pm and she seemed concerned when she realized it was me,  I said hello and ask her if she would like to come up to the park playground and pick up her husband’s ring.  She was estastic.  She said she would be right down.   She arrived in 15 minutes and was extremely grateful.  This is my favorite part of this hobby, seeing the smiles, seeing the relief, it is a win, win moment for everyone.

Now I thought this adventure was over, but on Monday I received a very special text message from Shannon.  I have pasted the text in below…

 «  » Thank you again sooo much, Don!! I surprised Aaron with his ring when he got home from work last night…. I sat him down and proposed to him :).  Luckily he said yes 🙂 We are both so happy to have his ring back. You and your wife are so wonderful! It was an honor meeting you two! «  »

Another successful NIGHT find for The Ring Finders »

Don & Ellen Wilson – Dallas,Tx

972-523-4447

 

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You Lost Your Ring in the Bathroom???

  • from Dallas (Texas, United States)
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You Lost You Ring in the Bathroom???Lost Ring in the Bathroom????

We received an email from a gentleman named Les, he said that he was changing clothes in his apartment bathroom and when he went to pull his shirt over his head his wedding ring slipped off and hit the floor.  He said he actually heard it hit the floor.  He decided to finish dressing and then find the ring.  Mind you this is a very small apartment bathroom.

Les looked and looked for the ring, he and his wife checked everywhere.  They even had the maintenance men come and move their washer and dryer in the attached room to see if the ring was underneath.  Les lost his ring on his ONE MONTH wedding anniversary.  It has been 3 months since the ring went missing and he found « The Ring Finders » on the internet.  He lives literally 5 minutes from my home.

My wife, Ellen, and I arrived about 7pm not really believing we would have much luck.  Metal detectors are not of much use inside a home let alone a small apartment bathroom.  But Les was so nice and asked us to try so we agreed.  We took our Garrett Pinpointers and our Detection Camera Scope.  Upon seeing the size of the bathroom we knew it had to have bounced somewhere strange.

      In looking at the bathroom we found a small open lip under the cabinet where the kick plate is. It was only a 1-1/2 inch opening that I could not even get my hand into, I got out my 3ft Detection Camera scope and worked it into the slot, nothing at first but on the second side, there in the dark glowing under the light from the camera scope was Les’s Platinum Wedding Band.   I said, ‘hey Les, take a look at my detection screen, is that your Ring?’  He was so excited, he and I had to break loose the baseboard under the sink in order to reach it.  He hollered for his wife, « they found It, they found it! »  Another successful hunt for « The Ring Finders ».

Don & Ellen Wilson

Dallas, Texas

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