Paul Humphreys, Author at The Ring Finders

Found! – Tungsten wedding ring lost throwing tennis ball. West Allis, Wisconsin

  • from Menomonee Falls (Wisconsin, United States)
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West Allis resident, Preston Witt, was repairing a storm-damaged fence in his backyard when he threw a tennis ball for his dog. That’s when his black-tungsten wedding ring flew off his hand. He felt it leave, saw it fly and believed it couldn’t have landed too far away. But despite his and his wife’s best search efforts, the ring’s hiding place eluded them. The couple carefully checked the alleyway behind the house and all around the patio; still no ring. When Preston rented a metal detector, he discovered the yard was alive with metallic signals, nails, foil and bottle caps! But he was still not able to find his missing wedding ring.

I received a text from Preston on Tuesday, April 28th asking if I could assist. We arranged a search a couple days later. On my arrival, Preston’s wife, Steph, showed me the area and explained their search efforts to date. After calibrating my equipment, I quickly scanned the lawn area to rule it out. Although full of metallic targets, Preston’s tungsten ring was clearly not in their lawn.

Moving into the paved alleyway I did a visual search up and down to no avail. Did someone else already find it? The question was troubling. I noticed a small patch of grass across the alley near a neighbor’s mailbox and made a mental note to check it with my detector before leaving the alley. When I did, I heard an unmistakable tungsten signal in my headset. Carefully parting the blades of grass, Preston’s ring appeared! And the smile on Steph’s face tells the rest of the story!

If you or someone you know has lost a ring, don’t let its story end. It’s more than a ring! Call me; I’d love to add your smile to my growing list of over 150 clients who are so glad they did.

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Second Wedding Ring Found on Beach Volleyball Court – Milwaukee, WI

  • from Menomonee Falls (Wisconsin, United States)
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It was Monday evening, April 10th. Milwaukee resident, Matt Duellmann, was enjoying playing beach volleyball at Fat Daddy’s, the popular Sport’s Pub in Milwaukee. He was there with his good friend and volleyball teammate, Gabe Stoltz. That’s when Matt’s white-gold wedding ring flew off his hand. Matt had worn it for nearly two years. Despite searching with rakes and using a metal detector, Matt’s ring eluded discovery.

To make matters worse, just 5-minutes before, Matt’s friend and teammate, Gabe Stoltz, felt his tantalum wedding ring leave his hand. Both rings vanished in the deep sand.

I was getting ready for bed when I received a text message from Gabe’s wife letting me know about the two lost wedding rings. Could I assist? Over the years I’ve learned that time is of the essence with lost ring searches. And so, I arranged to meet Gabe on location within the hour, arriving around 11:00 p.m.

I performed a quick forensic overview of the events leading up to the ring losses. Gabe showed me where he was standing when the ring vanished and I could see the tell-tail rake marks in the sand.

As is so often the case, the volleyball court was full of metallic debris, coins, foil wrappers, pull tabs and bottle caps. But knowing the conductivity value of tantalum, I could safely ignore many of these signals. Finally, a deep, but clean tantalum-signal invited investigation. Sure enough, it was Gabe’s ring!

We then quickly moved to the area where Matt had lost his ring. A systematic grid search brought his white-gold ring to light as well. Two losses, two searches, two finds and two grateful smiles!

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Two Lost Wedding Rings Found on Beach Volleyball Court – Milwaukee, WI

  • from Menomonee Falls (Wisconsin, United States)
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It was Monday evening, April 10th. Milwaukee resident, Gabe Stoltz, was enjoying playing beach volleyball at Fat Daddy’s, the popular Sport’s Pub in Milwaukee. That’s when his tantalum wedding ring flew off his hand. Gabe had worn it for nearly two years. Despite searching with rakes and using a metal detector, the ring eluded discovery.

To make matters worse, just 5-minutes later, Gabe’s friend and teammate also felt his white-gold wedding ring leave his hand. And it too vanished in the sand.

I was getting ready for bed when I received a text message from Gabe’s wife inquiring about my metal-detecting services. Over the years I’ve learned that time is of the essence with lost ring searches. And so, I arranged to meet Gabe on location within the hour, arriving around 11:00 p.m.

I performed a quick forensic overview of the events leading up to the ring losses. Gabe showed me where he was standing when the ring vanished and I could see the tell-tail rake marks in the sand.

As is so often the case, the volleyball court was full of metallic debris, coins, foil wrappers, pull tabs and bottle caps. But knowing the conductivity value of tantalum, I could safely ignore many of these signals. Finally, a deep, but clean tantalum signal invited investigation. Sure enough, it was Gabe’s ring!

We then quickly moved to the area where Gabe’s friend lost his ring. A systematic grid search brought the other ring to light as well. Two losses, two searches, two finds and two grateful smiles!

If you or someone you know has lost a wedding ring, even long ago, don’t let its story end. Call me today. I would love to put a smile on your face too.

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Large gold wedding ring found in client’s backyard- East Side, Milwaukee, WI

  • from Menomonee Falls (Wisconsin, United States)
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Mark Foley, of Milwaukee’s picturesque East-Side, not far from Bradford Beach on Lake Michigan, was working in his backyard, transplanting garden flowers and adjusting some paving stones. When Mark came in for lunch, to his horror he realized his wedding ring of 52-years was missing off his hand. It was inscribed “50-Years,” in recognition of his 50-year wedding celebration two years prior. Despite his best search efforts, Mark was unable to locate his missing ring. Was it buried in the ground underneath a plant or a paving stone? Would he ever see his ring again? These questions were troubling.

I received a text message from Mark asking if I might assist in the recovery of his wedding ring. I met Mark on location the next morning and began a grid search in the area where he had been doing garden work. Slowly making my way along a stone pathway, a signal in my headset was consistent with that of Mark’s ring. It didn’t take long to locate it and to see it back on Mark’s hand where it belongs.

Thank you, Mark, for trusting me to find and return your precious wedding ring. May you and your wife enjoy the ring for many, many more years!

If you or someone you know has lost a ring or other sentimental jewelry item, even long ago or in a lake, give me a call. We might just be able to add your smile to my list of over 150 happy clients. Call or text today!

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Thrown ring lost over a year, found! – Hartford, WI

  • from Menomonee Falls (Wisconsin, United States)
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Understandably, the ring’s owner wishes to remain anonymous. This is because the ring was, regrettably, thrown; lost in a moment of anger. It happened 13 months ago.

Last year I made two trips and spent a dozen hours searching for this engagement ring, but I was not able to locate it. This spring, I was about to reach out to the couple again when my phone rang. It was the client. Would I try again? I made the 40-minute drive and spent nearly 7 hours one day, carefully scanning the lawn with a new high-frequency search coil, one that is very sensitive to small white-gold targets. As darkness ensued, I arranged to return the following week to resume the search. Upon arrival, I set out my grid lines once again and continued scanning the ground. A faint signal deep in the grass invited further investigation. I was expecting the usual foil and or pull tab, but as it turned out, the signal was that of the missing ring! Hugs, smiles and tears ensued.

Recovering this ring helped the young couple close a dark chapter in their marriage, a sad story, and move on together with renewed commitment. It’s a story with a happy ending!

If you or someone you know has lost a ring, even a thrown one, you can be assured I am not out to judge anyone. Life happens! I’m only too happy to try and find the ring and return it discreetly and with warmest wishes for every future success. Sometimes, perseverance, confidentiality, understanding, lots of grace and modern technology all join hands to facilitate the healing of a strained relationship. This is definitely one of those times!

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Month-Long Lost Wedding Ring Found! – Waterloo, Wisconsin

  • from Menomonee Falls (Wisconsin, United States)
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Wisconsin dairy farmer, Tim Wiedenfeld was clearing brush along a fence line close to his church when his loose-fitting yellow-gold wedding ring went missing. A branch caught the rim, flipping it up into the air. Then it disappeared amongst the leaves and vegetation. Despite Tim’s best search efforts and those of another metal detectorist, the ring could not be found. Tim wondered if a Bobcat they were using had pushed it down the hill into a large pile. It was a disheartening thought. Was it gone forever?

An acquaintance of Tim’s reached out to me a few weeks later and I arranged to meet him on location. Sometimes a fresh pair of forensic eyes can be helpful. I arrived a half-hour early and surveyed the area. Using photos taken earlier, I was able to match their locations and piece together the chronological events of the day. The remains of a heavy-gauged wire-mesh fence represented a metal-detectorist’s worse nightmare; they overwhelm detectors, masking the presence of nearby metallic objects like gold rings. Before taking out my metal-detecting equipment, I looked slowly and carefully underneath the wire fence, watching for unusual metallic glints. That’s when I spotted a tiny flash in the afternoon sun. Upon investigation, Tim’s wedding ring appeared in the mud where it had been pushed almost out of sight some four weeks before! I marked the spot by poking a stick into the ground and then proceeded to clean up the ring before Tim arrived.

Tim’s truck appeared shortly. I let him tell me the story. He showed me where he was standing when the ring came off his hand. His account, the circumstances and trajectory all aligned forensically with the ring’s hiding place. I leaned over and pointed to the spot under the fence where the ring had come to rest. Then I opened my hand to reveal Tim’s precious ring. Tim was both shocked and overjoyed!

Someone once called me the Sherlock Holmes of lost rings! I’ve been metal detecting and solving lost-ring cases since 1976. Technology, like modern state-of-the-art metal detectors, is amazing. But as incredible as this technology is, there is still room for old-fashioned forensics.

If you or someone you know has lost a ring, don’t let its story end. Call me. Who knows, we just might be able to add yet another smile to my growing list of over 150 happy clients!

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Frigid ring search ends on warm note! Deerfield, Wisconsin

  • from Menomonee Falls (Wisconsin, United States)
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My car showed the outside temperature at minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit. A stiff 15 mile an hour wind put the wind-chill factor at minus 25. It reminded me of the extreme winters my wife and I experienced when we lived in Alberta, Canada. I opened a package of hand warmers and slipped them into my large leather mittens. I knew I would need them.

A text message from Deerfield, Wisconsin resident, Alisa O’Neil asked for help in recovering her platinum wedding rings. The rings slipped off her hand and vanished into the winter landscape as she was running back from the mailbox in front of her home. She and her husband, Trevor, scoured the area, even used a metal detector, but they could not locate the missing rings.

Alisa’s father discovered my metal-detecting services on TheRingFinders.com, an international directory of metal-detecting specialists. Upon arrival, Alisa showed me where the rings had flown off her hand. Under such circumstances they could be anywhere, on the snow-covered roof or caught in the thick bows of a nearby pine tree. And so began an ever-widening sweep of the ground in the bitter cold. After 4 hours of searching however, the rings remained lost.

We took a short break, enjoying a scrumptious cup of freshly brewed coffee and homemade cookies. The warmth felt ever so good! And the coffee, I must add, was outstanding; Alisa knows coffee! The short break helped to spur us on.

I wanted to double check an area by the sidewalk. Reinforcing steel in the concreate made it difficult to hear any non-ferrous signals in the snow next to it. For this challenging area I swapped coils on my detector for one that uses a higher-frequency. It is particularly sensitive to gold and platinum in what detectorists call, “trashy” locations. Finally, five hours into the frigid search, a promising signal invited further investigation. The reinforcing iron close by was doing its best to overwhelm the detector, camouflaging the ring’s hiding place. But as it turned out, the signal was indeed that of Alisa’s wedding rings, complete with their gorgeous 2-carat diamond centerpiece! To say Alisa was ecstatic, is an understatement! I should have taken a video of her happy dance, squeals and all! Suddenly, nobody was aware of the cold!

If you or someone you know has lost a ring in the snow, don’t let the ring’s story end. It’s more than a ring. Give us a call. We’d love to warm up your day!

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One-of-a-kind wedding ring lost in snow & found! Cudahy, Wisconsin

  • from Menomonee Falls (Wisconsin, United States)
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Cudahy, Wisconsin resident, Chris Roberts was closing a metal gate behind his home when his one-of-a-kind wedding ring got caught on it. Married four years, he was horrified to feel the white and black diamond ring leave his finger and disappear into the cold, snowy night. Despite careful search efforts with a leaf rake in the snow, the ring’s hiding place remained a secret. The next morning Chris reached out to me with a text message asking if I might help. We arranged to meet on location late that afternoon.

It was dark when I arrived. I donned a headlamp and followed Chris to the back of his house. I could see the telltale signs of raking in the snow, evidence of Chris’s valiant search efforts. The thermometer was falling fast, hovering in the mid-teens Fahrenheit (-9.4 Celsius). And a brisk wind made it feel much colder.

Sweeping the area with a mid-sized coil revealed the presence of many metallic objects in the ground beneath the snow. Most of them were ferrous (iron) signals that could be ignored. Also, a heavy wire-mesh fence screamed its presence in my headset whenever I was close to it. I quickly eliminated the more obvious signals and zeroed in on a non-ferrous target near the metal gate. As I probed the area with my pin pointer, a small lump of ice invited investigation. Breaking it apart in my gloved hand, Chris’ precious ring appeared among the icy crystals! And the smile on his face tells the rest of the story.

Chris’ ring was the 9th one I’ve extracted from the snow this winter season. In the process, I’ve observed a strange phenomenon. All but one was encrusted in an icy lump, the result of a warm ring melting the snow on first contact, then cooling and finally freezing the ice and snow around it, forming an icy tomb. Encrusted in this way can make the ring invisible to the naked eye. Little wonder Chris and others have been unable to find their rings! Apart from using a metal detector, the ring’s hiding place would have to wait until warmer days when the snow and ice have melted away. But by then, the ring may have been shoveled off or plowed away to another location. This is why time is of the essence when a ring becomes lost in snowy conditions.

If you or someone you know has lost a ring, don’t let its story end. Whether recent or long ago, in the snow, leaves, grass, sand, lake or river, call a member of The Ring Finders in your area. Chances are, like Chris, we can put a smile on your face again.

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Heirloom ring recovered from the snow! – Watertown, Wisconsin.

  • from Menomonee Falls (Wisconsin, United States)
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When Watertown, Wisconsin resident, Mariah Kruschke was twelve years of age, her grandmother passed away from cancer. Before she died, she gave Mariah an 18k ring to remember her by, a ring she wore every day since. Then, the unthinkable happened! The ring slipped off Mariah’s hand into the snow in a field in front of their country home. She felt the ring leave her hand but despite two and half hours searching and raking through the snow, it could not be found.

Mariah’s brother, Justice, even obtained a metal detector, but the presence of underground wiring and other metallic debris resulted in a cacophony of signals, making the endeavor futile. That’s when they located my listing on theringfinders.com directory of metal detecting specialists. I have over 40 years forensic metal detecting experience.

I received a text from Justice and arranged to meet on location that same evening. The half hour drive was extended another half hour due to a mapping error on the cellphone I used. But at last, we connected at the Kruschke’s home. It was dark by this time. It was also a bitterly cold night, one made colder by an angry wind. I donned a headlamp and followed Mariah and Justice to the area where the ring had gone missing. Evidence of their search efforts was clear from the large area of grass where the snow had been raked away and melted down in hopes of revealing the ring.

A quick search of the cleared area confirmed it was not there. Expanding the search grid resulted in hearing the signal I was listening for in my headset, the unmistakable sound and conductivity numbers consistent with a recently lost gold ring. Upon investigation and using a special metal-detecting probe, the ring’s hiding place was at last disclosed deep in the snow where it had fallen. I retrieved the precious ring and walked back to where Mariah stood shivering in the dark frigid night. “Maybe this will help to warm you up, Mariah,” I said as I slipped the ring into her hand.

Tears, relief, a hug and smiles followed.

If you or someone you know has lost a ring, recent or long ago, on land, in water or in the snow, don’t let the ring’s story end. Call a member of The Ring Finders near you. It’s what we do! We’d love to put a smile on someone else’s face. After all, it’s more than a ring!

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Wedding ring lost in snow and found! Delafield, Wisconsin.

  • from Menomonee Falls (Wisconsin, United States)
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The day after New Year’s, Ian Clark was clearing snow off the driveway in Delafield, Wisconsin when his heavy yellow-gold wedding ring flew off his hand and disappeared into the snow. He was throwing ice-melt crystals when it happened. Despite his frantic search efforts, the ring seemed destined to remain hidden forever. Ian even tried using a metal detector but a large metal culvert in the area overwhelmed his machine as did the buried electrical cables and metallic objects in the ground, the kind that accumulates over a half-century of human occupation.

Ian reached out to me by text late that evening and we arranged to meet on location first thing the next morning. It was minus 9 degrees Fahrenheit (-22 Celsius) when I left my house in Waukesha. Upon arrival, a white-tailed deer walked across the road, creating a classic Hallmark winter scene in the gorgeous country subdivision. I also saw evidence of Ian’s search efforts in the snow alongside the driveway.

While I searched, Ian hovered close by; his hopes raised every time I knelt in the snow to probe a target. But a thorough grid search in front of the house failed to reveal the ring. Since a throwing action can fling a heavy ring quite a distance, I also checked along the road in front of the house. Again, no ring. I began to wonder if a neighbor had picked up the ring while out walking. Then I moved to the opposite side of the driveway. I was completing a third pass when a signal near the road invited investigation. It didn’t take long for my probe to isolate the signal’s source—Ian’s wedding ring! I left it in place and called Ian over to personally recover the love token from its frozen resting place. The emotions of that moment are hard to describe. Ian was on the verge of tears, clear evidence that the ring was, as I have so often observed, more than a ring!

Ian preferred not to have his photo published. Instead, he took one of yours truly inside his home where we both savored the warmth and success.

If you or someone you know has lost a ring, whether recent or long ago, call me. Lost in the snow, in a lake (underwater), or on land, chances are, the ring may yet be found. I would be delighted to add your smile to the list of very happy clients who are glad they called.

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