Lost Wedding Ring Found! – Simmons Island Beach, WI

  • from Menomonee Falls (Wisconsin, United States)

An afternoon of summertime fun and relaxation for Illinois residents, Brian and Stephanie Barsotti and daughter, Isabella, ended suddenly when Stephanie’s custom-designed, platinum wedding ring was knocked off her finger by a tennis ball. The ring subsequently disappeared into the waters of Lake Michigan.

The loss was made all the more gut wrenching since Stephanie’s Great Aunt Rita, who passed away four years ago, had gifted the emerald-cut diamond to her for her engagement. Now it seemed to be gone forever.

A sleepless, emotional night ensued. The pain of loss was acute; the ring was one of the most precious “things” Stephanie treasured. Brian had created the setting fourteen and half years ago. The couple was already planning their upcoming 15th wedding anniversary. This, and the sentimental attachment to Stephanie’s Great Aunt, made the loss almost unbearable for Stephanie.

In an email to her Facebook friends, Stephanie wrote of her loss, “Maybe it’ll wash up in a week or a year or 5 years from now and someone else will enjoy my treasure. Maybe some kind person will come across my beautiful ring and want to help find who it belongs to.”

Reaching out to her friends paid off! One of them pointed Brian and Stephanie to the « kind » people listed on The Ring Finders directory of metal-detecting specialists.

I received an email from Stephanie followed by a phone call the following afternoon. Would I help? Within a few hours I made the hour and a quarter drive to Kenosha, Wisconsin and met up with the Barsotti family on location at Simmons Island Beach. After an hour of searching with my Minelab Excalibur, the precious ring found its way into my sieve. I waded back to the shore and after making pretense of needing more information I presented Stephanie with her stunning ring. Needless to say, the family was ecstatic! Hugs ensued. More hugs ensued. And did I mention that more hugs ensued! Got to love this hobby! 🙂

Brian and Stephanie, may the story of your ring, and all its treasurable memories, continue for many years to come. Thank you too for your generous reward.

If you know someone who has lost a ring or other sentimental jewelry item, chances are it is still there, waiting to be found. Contact a member of The Ring Finders near you. Who knows, you might find yourself hugging a total stranger!

TESTIMONIAL: Right before school started we decided to take a drive to Simmons Island Beach in Kenosha, WI. My husband, daughter and I enjoyed 2.5 hours in the water and sun until our game of monkey in the middle turned into a nightmare. The tennis ball hit my ring finger in such a way that my wedding ring popped off and landed in Lake Michigan. My heart sunk as we searched, the sand moving between our toes, and we came up empty handed. After hours of tears and not being able to sleep I took to social media and made a public post. Some kind folks suggested we contact The Ring Finders, which lead us to Paul Humphreys. Paul met us on a moments notice where I lost my precious ring. With his equipment and big heart he combed the waters for nearly 90 minutes and just when I thought he was calling it quits, he produced my ring in his angel-like hand. My nightmare turned miracle! I am forever grateful to Paul and hope my story trickles out there so others know about this heartfelt service he and The Ring Finders are doing for folks who lose their precious treasures.” Stephanie Barsotti

5 Comments »

5 Replies to “Lost Wedding Ring Found! – Simmons Island Beach, WI”

  1. Joji Chua dit :

    Wow!!! You are so awesome!!! I thought that would be impossible! Stephanie and her family are just wonderful people! They deserve all blessings to flow and you are just the angel that allowed that! Thank you’
    Now can you help me find my cat? 😺

  2. Tami P dit :

    Paul Humphreys- you are a hero of mending hearts! The feeling of loss for Stephanie and Brian and then the hope of connecting with Ring Finders organization and then uncertainty if it would take a few times to retrieve, not 90 minutes is purely astounding!!!

    We have to let you know that losing rings in Wisconsin waters is sort of a family tradition (we are second cousins) as we have a lost wedding band at Kohler a few years back and after divers and being afraid of the lack of finding it again, you have given us the hope we needed up until now by finding The Barsotti’s precious jewel- we would hope to commission your help soon to Kohler if you can! You seem to have the lucky touch!! Thank you for helping Stephanie and family, she wouldn’t have been ok if it wasn’t for you!

    1. Tami, I would be more than happy to assist in trying to locate your ring at Kohler if I can. Just give me a call or drop me an email. I couldn’t agree more; the Barsotti’s are a dear family. I’m so happy we were able to get her precious ring back on her hand.
      Talk soon,
      Paul

  3. Thank you, Joji, for your kind words. Regarding your cat… hmmm, is it wearing a bell? I hope you can find him/her soon.
    Cheers,
    Paul

  4. Nathan Gesler dit :

    Hi Paul – you would not have happened to find any other wedding rings during your search on Simmons Beach this past week, did you? My wife lost hers in that exact same location just a week ago (8/11). Needless to say, she is devastated. We’ve since contacted Kenosha Public Works, Kenosha PD, the company that held the event, and have been monitoring the ‘lost and found’ pages in the area. If you believe that you can help us, please email me so that we can further discuss your other (potential) finds, services and fees. NG

Comments are closed.