Lost Platinum Ring Found! -- Castle Rock Lake, Wisconsin

Metal detecting is a skill involving inches. I’ll explain.

Castle Rock Lake is the 4nd largest body of water in the State of Wisconsin. It boasts some 13,955 acres and 60 miles of shoreline. By comparison, Mike Ruetz, of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, lost his platinum wedding ring in its waters. The ring does not cover 1 square inch. And if positioned vertically, it covers even less area.

But Mike knew approximately where his ring went missing, within a few hundred square feet that is. So it was a matter of eliminating inches, of ruling out where his ring did not exist.

My son, Scott, joined me as we systematically searched the island sandbar where Mike’s ring went missing. Holiday boaters love to anchor and hang out at this spot. How do I know this? Well, Mike told me so. But the metal-detecting evidence speaks with even more authority. Between us, we extracted and properly disposed of 69 beer caps and 59 aluminum pull-tabs from the sandbar—sad evidence of disregard by some for our precious Wisconsin lakes.

But at last, Mike’s ring found itself cradled in Scott’s stainless-steel sieve. A date, clearly inscribed on the ring’s inside band, 5-29-2010, confirmed one very happy owner’s wedding day!