Lost & Found Category | Page 2 of 541 | The Ring Finders

An unexpected and wild treasure hunt…Success Story!!!

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)
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Bay Area Ring Finders: Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590

Going back several months, « The Pastor », had contacted me to inquire about my services with an unexpected request.  As the story goes, there is a home that belonged to his wife’s brother, a reclusive geologist who had passed away.  The home was in probate, but the family had cleaned out almost all of his belongings.  Missing from the inventory of items was a fabled family heirloom, a long riffle thought to have been kept under a secret floorboard in a back bedroom.  I know, this starts to read like an Indiana Jones reboot!

The only detailed account came from a singular friend who had stated that after a home invasion burglary while the gentleman was engaged in a geological outing, he had sought to secret his gun and ammo into a place that would ensure that it wouldn’t get stolen.  On occasion, this friend goes on to explain that the Geologist would often disappear for several minutes to a back room and return with the weapon, or sometimes other items.

After several weeks of back and forth, and looking at schedules and timing, I finally met « The Pastor » at the home.  We spent the first 20 minutes or so getting to know each other and going over the story once again.  We concluded this briefing with a tour of the home, of which he and family members had already searched many times previously.

We sat back down prior to my search and I explained my theory ( I had ample time leading up to this to think of strategy, knowing that my metal detectors might be all but worthless on the interior of a home).  I explained that in the event that there was a secret floorboard that we could not locate, there had to have been a soffit underneath the home for the gun to sit, otherwise the gun would likely lie on the earth below the home.  I knew I needed a flashlight and I needed to crawl under the tight crawl space below the floor.

Only seconds after entering the access hole I noticed something, a black synthetic nylon material, unmistakable for a gun case.  This material sat atop two metal shelving brackets screwed to the floor joist.  I knew… I Made the Recovery!!!

It took only second to locate the item and in a moments time, with excitement and a smile on my face, I had the weapon out of the crawlspace and « The Pastor » and I were celebrating a very quick recovery.

We took the black bag to the kitchen and unzipped it to gaze upon the fabled missing long gun.  It was an older weapon, but in really well maintained condition.  We unzipped all the pockets to see what other interesting items we could find.  It was at this time that I knew something was wrong.  Anyone who owns a gun would recognize that one does not just own a gun.  There are a myriad of shooting related items that gun owners keep, one of them is ammunition.  We had found none…I needed to head back under the home.

On my second venture underneath the house , by happenstance I grabbed for a board to pull myself under the floor.  Expectation told me the board should be solid and fixed to the structure, reality was that it was loose and slightly moved when I weighted it.  I shined the flashlight at the board and noticed a gap and in that gap was stuff.  My heart pounded as I shouted out to « The Pastor » that I found something although I had yet to figure out how to access it.

As I jiggled and wiggled the wood, I made another strange discovery, two rounded heads not unlike a screw or fastener, flush with the framing of the crawlspace, well they also moved.  I used my fingernail to pry out the head and to my astonishment they were affixed to a long rod.  The excitement increased as did my heart rate as I pulled the second rod toward myself…and bang!  I was startled when a small trap door dropped revealing a menagerie of items within.

I immediately identified a holster with a hand gun, boxes of ammunition, and numerous pill bottles.  It was incredible!!!  I pulled my phone and documented everything I was seeing as well as the workings of the trap door.  I kept telling « The Pastor » how exciting and crazy it was and he was excited too, which only made me more excited.

I started handing the copious amount of items topside as I curiously glanced at everything as it went up.  Pill bottles full of silver coins, scrap gold, jewelry, multiple boxes of ammunition, hand guns, a canvas bags full of  important documents.  All these items had been secreted into the small compartment cleverly hidden between the floor joists.

When I returned to the surface the two of us investigated each and every item further.  « The Pastor » was amazed and extremely happy with the haul of his now deceased brother-in-laws possessions that was once lost to the family.  To say that this was exciting would be an understatement.  Even at the time of writing this account, I can’t help but be pleased with the experience as a whole and a smile still creeps onto my face.

I do not know if I will ever experience a more incredible treasure hunt.  I will continue to seek out opportunities like these to participate in.  I will continue to seek knowledge and techniques to make me a better searcher.  I will always strive to have the best tools available for my clients, and who knows…maybe just writing this account will inspire confidence in someone else to reach out with the next big project.  The last thing I have to say about this particular adventure is…I made the Recovery!!!

Bay Area Ring Finders: Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590

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Wedding band lost in their 25 year anniversary, FOUND!!!

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)
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Bay Area Ring Finders: Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590

Warning!!! This story is not just bananas, it’s tomatoes!!!

They had just celebrated their 25 year anniversary in June!  While picking tomatoes on their friends farm, he lost his wedding band.  Though he did not realize the item was missing until later that evening, this put a grey cloud over an otherwise beautiful day.  They returned to the farm the following afternoon to see if they could locate the ring, as well as mark all the possible areas with irrigation flags.

Admittedly, I had a very busy schedule and had to prolong my arrival to search for several days.  The ring had been lost on the morning of October 14th and it was now Saturday the 17th that I arrived with my 3 boys in tow to look for the missing wedding band.  I turned my older boys loose with their detectors to search the tomato rows while I quickly eliminated where they had parked and where they had washed up at tossed some trash at the end of the day.  With nothing found, and the boys interest waning, I joined in the search amongst the unbelievable number of plants and tomatoes.

With the search area well covered and everyone almost throwing in the towel, I had a thought!  What if the irrigation flags with their thin wires were masking the signal?  I began to pull out the markers and check beneath each one.  The flags did not even register or signal a tone on my machine. After checking about 5 or 6, I pulled a flag, swung over, and a sweet sounding signal could be heard in the headset…We had made the recovery!!!

The surprise on the two’s faces when I presented the ring was amazing, such an intoxicating feeling.  This is why I have the best job in the world! We marveled at the fact that they must have placed the flag almost straight through the center of the ring.  After several minutes of celebration, we took some well earned photos and with the sun setting said our goodbyes!  The grey cloud from days prior made the sunset of today seem so much sweeter!

 

Bay Area Ring Finders: Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590

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Large Diamond Ring Lost in Anahiem, CA. Home Recovered for Owner

  • from Newport Beach (California, United States)
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If you’ve lost a valuable in a place where a metal detector can be used to find it, call Stan the Metal Detector Man.. professional detecting service.. 949-500-2136

I got a call to help find a lost diamond ring in a house located in Anahiem , CA.  After discussing the details of the loss and explaining how I do house searches. I met the son of the lady that lost the diamond ring later that afternoon.

He said his mother usually puts her ring in an open jewelry box in a closet near the bedroom. This time she wasn’t sure if she may have set on a cabinet near the front door entry. She was concerned that someone may have taken it from that spot..

I agreed to search those two areas thoroughly and any other places she may remember. It would be impossible to search the whole house as sometimes it could take 3 or 4 hours to search one large room.

This was a short search because I started in the right place. The ring was on the floor, between some shoes below where she normally puts the ring in the open jewelry box. The ring did not make it to the box and it dropped to the floor. It was not easy to spot visually because it bounced to the back of the cabinet space amongst the shoes.  A beautiful diamond ring back where it belongs.

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Fire Survivor Lost but Found at Glenrock, Pa

  • from Harrisburg (Pennsylvania, United States)
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Last evening, 10/26/26, Ken contacted me about his lost wedding ring.  He was doing yard work and it came off near his front door.  He tried using a metal detector and went out at night with a light but could not locate it.  He told me he spent at least 4 hours searching even though the search area was small.  Finally, he decided to contact me.

The next morning I arrived and he showed me where he thought it was.  There were numerous targets but not the one I was looking for.  I used a pointer near the house on my hands and knees because the detector could not be used due to all the metal. I adjusted the pointer to low sensitivity knowing the ring would be near the surface.

Ken told me he acquired the ring in 1982.  He was working at a warehouse and was in the habit of removing the ring due to the type of work he was doing in the warehouse where wearing a ring would be dangerous.   The ring was always placed in his car’s change holder between the front seats. Fast forward to 1992.  While parked, a fire occurred in his vehicle.  His car became fully engulfed in flame, the tires blew out and the car rolled downhill into a fence. The vehicle was, of course, totally destroyed.  Ken, knowing where the ring was, removed a molten mass of what used to be coins.  He carefully removed the outer metal and his ring was intact, protected by the melted coins.  After a good cleaning, it was as good as new.

Now back to the present. After nearly 2 hours, I decided to widen the search area.  As soon as I did, I heard the tone I was searching for and glanced at the detector’s display.  There, right under the coil, was the beautiful ring.  Ken was was with me most of the time but just before I found it, he walked to his mailbox.  It would have been great had he experienced looking on the ground and seeing what I was seeing.  The ring was only 8 feet outside of the first search area. When he returned I told him to hold out his hand as I had something for him.  He was very happy to get it back on his finger.  He informed his wife and she too was happy that it was back where it belongs.  I suspect as most of us know, that ring is very special, and I suppose that I too am now part of its history.

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Lost Wedding Ring in South County, Missouri

  • from St. Louis (Missouri, United States)
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Contacted Jeremy about losing my wedding ring

I lost it throwing a football on a the side of my buddies house so I know the general area it should be

Jeremy found the ring within minutes

Would highly recommend Ring Finders to anyone

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Back in the Saddle! A Silver Chain Recovery in Valley Stream, NY! ⛓️🔎

  • from Orchard Beach (New York, United States)
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Back in the Saddle! A Silver Chain Recovery in Valley Stream, NY! ⛓️🔎

It’s been quite a while since my last Ring Finders recovery, but today I got back in the game!

Around noon, I received a text from Ramy, a pharmacy owner in the Bronx, who had lost his silver necklace and pendant somewhere on a FULL-SIZE football field at Valley Stream State Park.

A football field? No problem. Just a few thousand square yards to search! 😂

Ramy couldn’t meet me until 6:30 PM, after closing his pharmacy, but I figured I’d get a head start. The park was about a 30-minute drive from my home, and I arrived shortly before 1 PM, armed with my metal detector and a little optimism.

Nearly three hours of searching later, I finally got the signal I was hoping for!

There it was — Ramy’s silver chain!

Unfortunately, the pendant had separated from the necklace. I expanded my search outward from the recovery spot, working the surrounding area, but despite my best efforts, the pendant remained elusive.

Still, finding that chain in such a massive area felt pretty darn good, especially after being away from detecting for so long!

Later that evening, after closing his pharmacy, Ramy came to my home to pick up his recovered necklace. He was genuinely appreciative and handed me a full reward he had promised before I even began the search.

But here’s the best part…

We spent some time talking, and I quickly realized that Ramy is just an all-around good guy. What started as a search for a lost necklace may very well have turned into a lifelong friendship.

The pendant may still be out there, but the chain is back where it belongs, and I made a new friend in the process.

That’s what I love about being part of The Ring Finders. Sure, the thrill of the hunt is great, but it’s the people you meet and the smiles you bring that make it all worthwhile.

One recovery, one happy customer, and hopefully one friendship for life! 😊

Reuben Marcus
The Ring Finders — Bronx, NY

#TheRingFinders #MetalDetecting #LostAndFound #SilverRecovery #ValleyStream #TreasureHunting #NoktaLegend

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Lost iPhone Found at Folly Beach Pier SC in Wet Sand

  • from Summerville (South Carolina, United States)
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After seeing the calm conditions and low tide in the early evening, I detected the Folly Beach Pier area and found this iPhone in the wet sand near the pier.  After rinsing, drying and a few minutes of charging, I was able to find the contact information of the owner’s spouse with the Medical ID feature since the phone was locked.  I contacted the person listed and eventually reached the owner and shipped the recovered phone to them.  Note: I recommend always setting up a contact with the Medical ID app or Android screenlock to make contacting an owner easy!

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Wedding ring found in Boonton, NJ!

  • from Hackettstown (New Jersey, United States)
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Got a call from a customer to find a lost platinum wedding band in a front yard in Boonton, NJ. Area had been raked and metal detected by owner with a rented metal detector in an effort to find the ring. Despite this, was able to locate the ring in the street-side of the curb cut, pushed into the soil and under the leaf litter. Very happy couple, which is what it’s all about!

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Lost wedding ring in Corruna Michigan found.

  • from Mount Pleasant (Michigan, United States)
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I got a call from Garret of Corruna Michigan to search for his wedding ring. He lost it in his yard while butchering some chickens. He gave me four possible areas it could be and after three hours, I finally found it just out a bit further than he thought.

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Lost Wedding Band of 47 Years Recovered: A Davidson County NC Ring Find

  • from Winston-Salem (North Carolina, United States)
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On Friday, October 23, 2026, I received a text from Dana, who had found me through TheRingFinders.com. She asked if I could help find her husband’s wedding band. Her husband, David, had just realized the ring was missing and believed he lost it while doing yard work earlier in the day. He had worn it constantly for 47 years and was anxious to find it. They lived in Davidson County, between High Point and Thomasville.

I told Dana how sorry I was and that I would be glad to help. I asked how much of the yard he had worked in and whether he had been wearing work gloves, since rings often stay inside gloves when they’re removed. Dana said he had already checked his gloves, as that was his first thought. She explained that he had mowed a small area with the tractor and then loaded limbs and sticks into a trailer to dump in the woods behind their property, but she wasn’t sure how to describe the areas he had covered.

My phone then rang. It was David, who explained that while checking his gloves he had found a hole in the ring finger, large enough for the ring to slip out. He had no idea it was missing until that evening. He told me he had push mowed, tractor mowed, and hauled sticks into the woods, where he unloaded them by hand into a large pile. He had also blown leaves in the front yard and had no idea where the ring could be.

I had a hunch we would find it where he unloaded the sticks, since tossing them would involve the most force and the best chance for the ring to come off. We ended the call after he gave me their address, and I told him I would arrive first thing in the morning.

The commute was about 35 miles taking 40 minutes. I texted that I was on my way and would arrive around 9:00 AM. The GPS was accurate, and David met me as I pulled into the drive.
After introductions and handshakes, I gathered my metal detector and pen pointer and asked David to point out the areas he had covered and what he had done in each. We stopped just inside the woods, where he recalled emptying fireplace ash and scattering it around. That became my first search area, and it turned up nothing.

David then led me deep into the woods to a pile of limbs, leaves, and sticks covering an area of 20 feet by 10 feet, and 4 feet deep. I slowly detected the entire pile with no results. Because a ring could easily have fallen deep into the pile, far from the detector’s coil, we moved many of the larger sticks so I could scan closer.  Searched a second time, with negative results. After removing even more sticks and gridding the area thoroughly a third time, I was confident the ring was not in the pile.

Next, I started detecting the ground, beginning at the base of the wood pile and following the obvious tractor tire marks in the ground cover. About 10 feet in, I got a promising signal and found a can top. I explained to David that finds like this are common, and I kept searching. Five feet farther, I got another very promising signal. I looked through the ground cover and saw nothing, so I swept the detector coil over the area again and got a very strong signal. Using my pen pointer in about 6 inches of ground cover, I felt a bump and heard the telltale alerting sound. I spread the cover, and there it was.

I picked up the ring and asked David, “Does this look like your ring?” He seemed confused or thought I was joking at first and started walking toward me. When he saw the ring in my hand, his face lit up like a child’s at Disney. “I cannot believe it,” he said. “You found it, and I thought it was gone for good.” He immediately texted Dana to tell her the news.

Thank you, David and Dana, for calling and trusting me to find your missing treasure. From their first contact to recovery took less than 11 hours

 

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