Gregg Larabel, Author at The Ring Finders | Page 11 of 16

My detecting partner Dave B. and I were out today at Holland State Park detecting in both the water and the sand. It was a cloudy day and the rain had just stopped so the beach was empty of bathers. While I was in the water Dave started gridding an area in the sand and came across a Samsung S5 cellphone. The signal on his AT Pro indicated junk and he was not going to dig but dug anyway and about 4 inches down there was the phone. We continued to hunt for another hour or so and went back into Grand Rapids to find the owner. We stopped at a T mobile office as that was the service provider. Because of privacy matters they could not give us a name but told us the subscriber lives in Florida.They took my name and number and said the party would get in touch with me. About 2 hours after I got home I got a call from Anthony M. he ask « do you have my phone » and I told him the story and he said he was at the park Sunday and it fell out of his pocket and couldn’t find it in the sand. We agreed to meet him at his house tonight after he got out of work and exchange the phone.

Dave and myself met Anthony at his house  and he was very happy to get his phone back. He explained that his sister in Florida has the plan and he is on it, that cleared up the mystery of the Florida connection. We thought that maybe the person who lost the phone was vacationing at the State Park.

Here is a picture of Anthony and the phone.

Got a call Sunday from Roger R. telling me his niece, Kim C., lost her white gold diamond ring in the lake while throwing a basketball during a fun filled day  of festivities in the water. When you look at the picture below you will see that Roger and his wife Kathy have a swimming area designed for big, fun parties. My partner Dave B. and myself took the 2 1/2 hour drive to their house and got our wet suits on and entered the water on an overcast Monday and started our search. We got several hits on the way out to the basketball hoop that was set up to play water ball. Roger told us that he had searched with a snorkel for hours around the hoop and other places in the swim area only to give up and call me. Our target area was around the hoop and about 15 minutes into the search Dave B. pulled up the ring with his AT Pro. We continued to search while slowly walking up to the beach and asked Roger if he had some coffee we would like to give it a rest for a bit. In the meantime we gave him what we found. Dave B. handed him one at a time a dime, penny, a nickel, a quarter, another penny and Roger said « wow » there’s a lot of change out there. I then started the same thing with a handful of change and a needle and bottle cap. Roger, looking a little down with nothing to show other than change I said « Oh there is this too » and I put the ring in his hand and he was stunned. He could not believe we found it after all the searching he went through. We took some pictures and he sent them to his niece then we went up for that cup of coffee. After some great conversation with Roger, a retired special ed school teacher, we took a ride around the lake in his pontoon boat and then packed up and went home.

We stopped to eat on the way home and got a text while at the restaurant from Roger saying that Kim got the pictures and was so happy she said « she would do anything 4 you both ». The smiles, coffee, conversation, and a boat ride around the lake was reward enough. This service of theringfinders is the most rewarding job I have ever done in my 40 years of detecting. Thank you Chris Turner for your foresight with theringfinders.

Kim was not available for a picture so when I receive it I will edit this post

 

 

Ben S. called me today while I was watching my grandson, Chase, win the Junior Gold Bowling Championship at Westgate Bowl in Comstock Park, MI.

Ben who lives in Fort Wayne, IN, was visiting his grand parents who live in Kalamazoo, MI and they spent the day at Oval Beach in Saugatuck, MI. Ben was passing a ball to his brother while standing in 3 feet of water when all of a sudden the ball and his Tungsten wedding band went sailing. Ben was aware of the location of the ring and was able to give me a good description as to where it went into the water. The fresh water lake was relatively calm and cool so there were a lot of beach goers there, I figured it would be a nice day to search.

After about 10 minutes in the water I found a silver ring but not Ben’s so I carried on and the next hit was Ben’s Tungsten wedding band. I have included a picture of Ben’s ring and the small silver ring that I found just before his ring. Ben was not there but will receive his ring next Saturday so I will edit this story with a picture of him and the ring.

Ben’s aunt Ellen and nephew showed up today to pick up his ring for him so I thought I would add to the travels of his ring. I asked her to give me a pic of Ben when he receives the ring so another posting will be coming with the end of the ring travels complete. After 3 weeks of traveling around Michigan and Indiana, the ring has finally been given to Ben and here is his picture.

Kameswari S. called me yesterday and said he lost his wedding ring while playing soccer with his friends at a local soccer field. I was across the state at the time and told him I would meet him Sunday afternoon at the field. He was wearing his ring on his right hand because he hurt his ring finger. Sek, as he is called by his friends was playing goalie and apparently stopped the ball and then threw it back out into play. After talking to Sek and going over all scenarios, I checked the back of the goal then the goal area itself. After about an hour in the hot sun I went to get a drink and then gridded off the playing area away from the goal where I figured the ring might have landed with a good throw from the goal. After several sweeps I got a good signal and hidden in the grass was the gold wedding ring with a diamond. His teammates helped him look for the ring yesterday but it was too well hidden to see it by the naked eye. Now Sek can tell his wife he lost his ring but recovered it to wear again.

My daughter-in-law called me and said her daughter, Meranda, got a call from her boyfriend, Devin, saying he lost his car keys while playing Disc Golf at the park. Meranda said « my grandpa can find it ». I went out to the park and met Devin and his friend who was in a panic because his car key is one of those $300 micro chip keys. Devin pointed out the 3rd hole that he was playing and thought that when he threw the last disc it went into the rough in about knee high grass. I checked out the area where he ran into the grass, with no luck. I then back tracked to the tee on hole #3 where Devin said he last felt the key in his hoody jacket pocket and checked the fairway with still no sign of the key. There is a saying in the metal detecting world that « the item is never where they think it is ». Using that logic I  suggested we back up to hole #2 and asked Devin to trace the path as to where he threw his disc. I went into the rough again following the directions of his first throw off the 2nd tee. Searching around in the knee high grass I got a good hit on my Fisher F75 in the All Metal mode. Pulling away the grass there it was. I presented it to Devin and he went bananas and Meranda said « see my I told you my grandpa could find it ». I suggested that Devin get more practice on disc golfing and stay out of the rough. It’s a nice feeling to help out family.

 

I got a call today from Melissa B. saying that she lost her diamond bracelet given to her from her grandmother. She was visiting her mother and grandmother in Comstock Park, Michigan and Sunday, while packing up to go home to Miami, Florida, she lost the bracelet. Melissa looked up my name through the ring finders directory and gave me a call today. I told her I would try to get to her grandmothers house Wednesday and would get back to her. This afternoon I was able to go out to the house with my detecting friends Chuck R. and Dave B.. Arriving at the house I met her mom and grandmother and walked through the steps that led Melissa to loose the bracelet. « Melissa picked up her large carryall in the basement and with her bracelet in her right hand, walked up the stairs to the outside door and across the sidewalk to the SUV sitting in the driveway. Melissa opened the front passenger door and got in the car and noticed her bracelet was gone ». This is what we had to go on and the first thing I asked was « did you check the vehicle over, from the door jam to under the seats, did you empty your carryall, did you check your clothes? » Melissa said, « yes ».

We proceeded to check the bushes, flowers, grass along the sidewalk and drive. I went down stairs and on my hands and knees look under the heater vents, along the carpet to the carpeted steps and up and out the door. After doing this several times I called Melissa and told her it was not here. Just then while talking to her I looked down at the decorative block steps on the outside stoop and in a crack I notice several crystals that looked like what we were looking for. I called out to Melissa on the phone and said « I think I see it », her and I were very elated at that point until we pried the block loose and it was broken pieces of glass from the storm door. I apologized to her for getting her hopes up and told her we would continue our hunt.

After an hour or so of not finding it, I called her back and recommended that she call her sister who is now in Haymarket, Virginia and who drove her to the airport and have her search the car again and ask the housekeeper if she could keep her eye out for the bracelet. About 8PM tonight I got a call from Melissa who was home in Miami, she talked to her brother-in-law and he searched the SUV again and found the bracelet down between the front passenger seat and the console. This was a very happy ending to a frustrating few days for Melissa.

As a ring finder we don’t always find what we are looking for but with a little detective work and a lot of questions, we can help the one who lost the item eventually find it. I have posted a picture of Melissa wearing the bracelet and a picture of the bracelet held by her brother-in-law after finding it.

 

Last week I was given a phone number of a gentleman who lost his ring. This was a special ring, the father, Mike G., gave his 16 year old daughter an ounce of silver, she wanted to make a ring for him. After her labor of love, she was finished and she presented Mike the ring on Fathers day. Mike was wearing the ring when he went gardening, he planted 4 rose bushes and weeded 2 flower beds in his back yard then went down to his Wing Lake access to clear weeds and moss from the lake. Somewhere in one of these spots the ring came off. I gave Mike a call and arranged a trip to his home in Bloomfield Township near Detroit. It was a 300 mile round trip but I have made several of these in the passed 3 years. My partner Dave B. and I got to his house about 2 hours ahead of the appointment time so we could search the lake access first. It was my hunch that that is where he lost it as he was pulling weeds in the water. After 2 hours of a searching of an area of about 50 feet by 20 feet we came up with a lot of odd junk pieces and several coins. We bagged that up and gave it to Mike when we met him at his house. He proceeded to show us where he was weeding and we went to work. I took out my pro Pointer and went around all the flower plants to no avail then got my metal detector and started through the flower beds. Dave checked the weeds that were in the trash and then detected the yard. About 5 minutes into my search of the first flower bed I found what I thought was a piece of pipe it seemed to be too large for a ring. Cleaning it off I noticed it was sliver and it had a small what looked like a leaf on it. I motioned to Dave to look at it and  I said « do you think this is the ring »? It was indeed the ring after Mike’s confirmation of it. It turned out to be a happy day for Mike as he had not told his daughter yet that the ring was lost.

Brenda B. called me today just as my wife was taking fresh biscuits out of the oven for strawberry shortcake. I told my wife I would be right back because Brenda lives a couple miles away. So I jumped in my car and headed for Brenda’s house. Upon arrival I drove up to a newer development of homes with well manicured lawns and in the middle of her lawn was a screw driver sticking out of the grass. I rang the doorbell and met Brenda, she told me her daughter lost the charm off her necklace while playing in the lawn with her boyfriend. The screwdriver marked the spot where she thinks she lost it. I set up a grid and started in line with the screwdriver I moved back and forthe for about 10 feet both ways. It is amazing how many coin hits I got in a newer lawn but that is not what I was looking for. I expanded my search out about 20 feet and there it was in direct line from the screwdriver 20 feet away. All is well and I suggested that Brenda buy her younger son a detector to find some of those coins.

Got home 45 minutes later and the biscuits were still fresh and warm.

 

 

I was on my way home from my daughters house when I got a call from Laura B. I could tell she was tearing up as she told me she lost her engagement ring at the park. She was turning the ring around on her finger when all of a sudden it popped off and landed in the beach sand. Searching frantically with her mom and husband to no avail they decided to go to Walmart and get a detector but they didn’t have any so they searched the web and found the ringfinders. I told Laura I could make it to the lake in 20 minutes and changed my course and headed that way.

Arriving at the lake I was greeted by Bob the park manager and he directed me to Laura who started tearing up again. She showed me where to search and I began. I used my Fisher F75 and got so much interference that I had to go to my Bounty Hunter Time Ranger on All Metal setting. I was looking for a white gold ring with and heirloom diamond given to her by her grandmother. I started to grid a 10 foot section without success and went the opposite direction still came up empty. I asked her once again to stand where she lost the ring and show me how she lost it. I then expanded the search to 20 feet and went one way then turned the grid the opposite way. Laura’s mom, Karen, followed me this time and as I swept the grid she noticed a glimmer in the sand from the sun, I must have kicked up the sand enough while missing the hit and mom said « there it is »!

Tears started to pour from Laura as she hug her mom and then me thanking me so much for coming right away. Mom was the real hero this time.

 

I got a call from Dawn C. a month ago to find a ring that her Son-in-law lost while playing with his dog in a foot of snow in the back yard. I made arrangements to come out to look for the ring and after trudging through a foot or better of snow I found it was too difficult to swing my detector due to a crust of ice about 6 inches below the fluffy snow. Glen F. had put his ring in an inside pocket of his jacket because he didn’t want to loose it throwing the ball to his dog. When he went back into the house he noticed that the pocket had a hole in it and his ring fell out while in the back yard. The ring was made by an independent jeweler named Michael Perry in Dublin, Ireland, where Glen is from. He made matching rings for him and his wife, Reagan, of grey gold and steel, a type of metal of his own creation.  This was a special loss to Glen. I told him I would be back after a thaw and find his ring. It has now been a month later and it was 45 degrees today and the snow pack has gone down and made it easier to detect. I brought along my detecting friend, Dave B., to help in the search. After about 15 minutes into the search Dave got a signal about 66 on his AT Pro and asked me to check it out because he dug down and couldn’t find anything. I used my Bounty Hunter Time Ranger on ALL METAL mode and got a signal. I dug a little deeper in the hole and there it was about a foot down in the snow. Glen was at work so I asked Dawn, Glen’s mother-in-law to show the ring for our book of smiles. It is always a pleasure to help someone find their lost treasure.