Lost Engagement Ring Found in Snow at Mequon, WI

A fun photo session on the snowy shores of Lake Michigan turned to disappointment for newly engaged couple, Brooke Vanderwegen and Josiah Frusti. Enrolled at Concordia University, the couple were in the process of photographing a romantic moment in a picturesque winter wonderland at the University’s Lakeshore campus when the ring somehow slipped from Brooke’s grasp and vanished into the snow. Despite frantic efforts to locate it, the ring eluded discovery.

The following day, Superbowl Sunday, I received an email from Brooke asking if I might assist. The next morning, early, I made my way to Mequon (in a snowstorm) and met up with a hopeful Josiah. I suited up against the icy blast coming off the lake and then followed Josiah down about a hundred steps to the winding pathway below. He stopped at a point where the ring was last seen and where snow-packed evidence of previous searches was now fast fading in a deepening blanket of fresh snow.

The ring’s hiding place was no match for my Minelab Excalibur Detector. Within just a few minutes of dusting the snow’s surface a sweet full-bodied moan from the detector signaled its presence, almost dead center in the pathway. A few careful passes with an extraction blade exposed it to the light of day and to the flash of Josiah’s beaming grin.

Josiah, it was a delight to assist you with the recovery of your future bride’s ring, May its story continue for many, many loving years together.