Paul Humphreys, Author at The Ring Finders | Page 2 of 16

Lost Wedding Ring Recovered – Okauchee Lake, Nashotah, WI

  • from Menomonee Falls (Wisconsin, United States)
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Nashotah, Wisconsin resident, Joe Judd, was enjoying an evening cigar on his boat dock one evening on Okauchee Lake when a sprig of ash fell onto his pantleg. Instinctively, he brushed the ash off with a flip of his hand but as he did, Joe saw his gold-wedding ring fly off and disappear into the water. He stared in disbelief at the aquatic plants and mud some 5-feet deep where the ring fell. He thought the ring was gone forever.

Later, at a Poker gathering with friends, Joe shared his sad story. That’s when someone mentioned ‘a guy’ in the area who finds lost rings, a guy named Paul. When Joe went online, he discovered my listing on The Ring Finder’s directory of metal-detecting specialists and reached out to me by phone.

Joe wasn’t sure just how deep was the water, let alone the depth of the mud. He guessed about 5-feet. Turns out his estimate was pretty accurate. After donning a search-and-rescue dry suit, I waded out into the icy-cold lake up to my neck and began to probe the mud with my SCUBA-rated XP Deus 2 detector. Joe sat close by on the dock, fascinated by the process.

It didn’t take long to isolate a promising signal, one well in the range of 18k gold. After several scoops of Okauchee-Lake ‘pudding,’ shells, plants and stones, Joe’s wedding ring finally surfaced in my scoop. I set it on the dock and watched Joe’s eyes widen in disbelief! “And that’s how it’s done,” I quipped.

The smile of amazement and joy on Joe’s face tells the rest of the story. And he couldn’t wait to tell his Poker buddies all about it that night.

If you or someone you know has lost a ring, recent, long ago, on land, in snow or in a lake, don’t let its story end. Call me; I love putting smiles on people’s faces!

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Lost Ring Found on Golf Course – Glendale, Wisconsin

  • from Menomonee Falls (Wisconsin, United States)
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A quick round of golf ended on a sad note for Glendale, Wisconsin, resident, Hans Wiersholm. Married just last September, his gold wedding band went missing while playing golf at the picturesque Glendale Lakes Golf Club.

A quick internet search resulted in Hans finding me on The Ring Finder’s directory of metal-detecting specialists. I was on my knees in the grass and searching for someone else’s lost jewelry when my cellphone rang. It was Hans. He explained his situation and we arranged to meet at the golf course that same evening. No pun intended, but the prospects of finding a small gold ring on a golf course was definitely a ‘long shot!’ I had visions of searching long into the night.

Upon arrival, I cross-examined Hans’ storyline and found out he had removed his golf gloves on at least two occasions. These events provided a plausible, forensic explanation for the ring coming off Han’s hand, the kind of ‘event’ that can help to narrow a search area. Following Hans, I searched the fairway on the first hole using an extra-large coil, one I keep for this very purpose. Just as we approached the green, a signal in the deep grass invited my attention—it was Hans’ ring!

Hans had a look of disbelief when I showed him his ring! Clearly, it was more than a ring! He thought it was gone forever!

Thank you, Hans, for reaching out to me for help. I am honored that you contacted me and that we were able to get your ring back on your hand where it belongs.

If you or someone you know has lost a ring, even long ago, don’t let its story end. Call me; I love putting smiles on people’s faces!

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Lost Wedding Ring Found in Lawn—New Berlin, Wisconsin

  • from Menomonee Falls (Wisconsin, United States)
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Saturday, May 16th, started as springtime Saturdays often do, catching up with errands and yard work. But for New Berlin resident, Margaret West, the day turned to agonized disappointment when she realized her platinum and diamond wedding rings were missing from her hand. She had worn it for nearly 25 years! Now it was gone!

Margaret wasn’t sure whether the ring came off in the house, in her garage, in the yard or while out shopping. Her grief, overwhelming, she spent over 12-hours searching, but to no avail. It seemed the ring was gone forever.

Margaret’s daughter found me on The Ring Finder’s directory of metal detecting specialists. I received a text from Margaret the next week. Would I be willing to take on her case? After reviewing the forensic details with Margaret in a telephone conversation, I arranged to meet her and her husband on location at her home. Margaret slipped away from work on her lunch break to show me where she had been working in her garden and in her garage. Before she returned to work, I quickly searched her vehicle to make sure the ring had not fallen off inside. I sensed her hopelessness and sadness as she departed and offered, “Don’t lose hope, Margaret. Keep your fingers and toes crossed!”

I began searching the garden areas in front the house. They contained a combination of junipers and annuals. These bordered the grass with plastic edging material. Since Margaret had been pulling weeds out of the garden and throwing them out into the lawn for disposal, I decided to scan the lawn area to make sure the ring had not come off her hand in the process. Only a few minutes into the search, I heard a distinct signal in my headset, one that stood out from all the other metallic debris in the grass. The conductivity numbers were in the range of platinum. Removing some leaves, Margaret’s lost-wedding ring came to light!

Under pretense of asking questions, I invited Damon, Margaret’s husband, to join me in front of the house. Since Damon had an electronics background, I explained how the detecting technology worked to detect and locate specific metals. Then I gave him my detection probe and let him locate his wife’s ring using it. I might have encouraged a new hobby for Damon because it didn’t take him long to discover the ring! He then sent photo images to his wife at work.

The next day, Margaret drove near my home in Waukesha to meet my wife and I and to personally deliver a hug of thanks. The ring was back on her hand! And just in time; the West’s are celebrating their 25th anniversary in August. It is clearly more than a ring!

If you or someone you know has lost a ring, even long ago, don’t let its story end. Call me; I love putting smiles on people’s faces!

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Lost Wedding Rings Found in Potted Fern– Evansville, Wisconsin

  • from Menomonee Falls (Wisconsin, United States)
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Evansville, Wisconsin resident, Randena Soldner, discovered her wedding rings missing from her hand after clearing fallen leaves and twigs from her picturesque lawn and garden. The shock of losing her rings was almost more than she could bear. Despite her and her husband’s best search efforts, the ring seemed destined to be lost forever. That’s when she discovered The Ring Finder’s directory of metal-detecting specialists and reached out to me.

When I arrived at the Soldner’s lovely home, the stress of losing her rings was apparent in Randena’s face and demeanor. Her husband, Leroy, joined with us as we solemly walked the length of the property together, noting areas where she had tidied up holes in the mulch dug by local squirrels. The lack of a specific forensic event (such as throwing a ball or removing work gloves) meant I would have to detect the entire property—a process of elimination, of determining where the ring was not.

The rings were more valuable than usual. Thus, for sake of everyone’s comfort, I asked that Randena or Leroy accompany me during the search. I do this at times to assuage any trust issues when more expensive jewelry is involved. As a retired hospice chaplain, I would never want people thinking I could be dishonest.

The search took over two hours. Randena and Leroy took turns shadowing me as I worked. I was about to finish up when I noticed some potted plants on a multi-level deck behind the house. I made a mental note to check those before leaving and so, when Leroy also suggested I search them, I did so immediately.

The first box contained artificial flowers complete with their plastic-coated wire stems. The metallic stems meant my detection probe was not much use. I looked through the foliage as carefully as I could but did not see a ring. The next pot contained a large, healthy fern, potted and presented in a vintage-iron holder. This meant careful extraction of the fern from its setting. Probing deep into the leaves resulted in a metallic signal which I assumed was a wire identification label, the kind often used by nurseries. But investigating further, Randena’s wedding rings suddenly appeared, revealing where they had fallen from her hand days before. Mystery solved!

The smiles don’t tell all the story. I gave the rings to Leroy saying, “I want you to be the one to give them to Randena.” He called out to her in the house and before long, the ring was in her hand. Tears, hugs, more tears, more hugs ensued! Clearly, it was more than a ring!

It is always a special moment when I can give back a ring that was thought lost forever. I am so glad Randena and Leroy trusted me enough to reach out for help. If you or someone you know has lost a ring, even long ago, don’t let its story end. Call me; I love putting smiles on people’s faces!

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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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