Just before 8 p.m. on Tuesday, I got a call from Robert asking if I could help find his stainless-steel necklace with a St. Christopher Medal. He told me he had called the Ring Finder closer to Wrightsville Beach, John Finnerin, but didn’t get an answer. I could tell by the desperation in his voice that this necklace was very important to him. I told him I’d give John a call and if I couldn’t get him, I’d be on my way. John didn’t answer, so I called Robert back and told him it’d take me almost an hour and a half to get there. Unfortunately, Robert and his wife were already home from vacation, so I needed a good idea of the search area. On the way up to the beach, I called Robert back and discussed all the necessary details I needed. He told me that he rarely took the necklace off. When they set up their chairs for the day on the beach, he took the necklace off and put it in the chair cup holder. When they were packing up and leaving the next day is when he realized his necklace was gone.
When I arrived, and found a place to park, I called Robert back to confirm I was at the right beach access. He also gave me a couple more landmarks that lined up with where I was. I made my way down to the beach access and out on the beach. There was about a 3-4 ft cut (where the waves wash away the sand). Again, I called Robert to verify whether the cut was there the day before, He said it was and they were sitting in front of that, towards the ocean. I got as much information as I needed and went to work. I started at the top of the cut and took my search out to about 15-20 yards on each side of the middle of the access. Within15 minutes, and as I made my 3rd turn to go in the other direction, I got a loud solid signal. The number on my machine was showing me 29, which normally is a quarter. I dug the shallow target out, turned on my headlamp and looked in the scoop. In the bottom of the scoop, there was St Christopher looking up at me. I walked back to the car and took a picture and sent it to Robert. I then called him, and I could tell he was extremely relieved his necklace, and the medal were found, I told him to send me his address, and I’d get it in the mail the next day.
I was curious about the back story concerning the necklace and medal, so I text him. With his permission here’s his story in his own words. “My dad gave that necklace to me when I was 13 (I’m now 25, so 12 years ago). His dad’s mom gave him the same kind of necklace when my dad was around that age too. He wore it at all times. Well, my dad wore his necklace to Wrightsville Beach one year some time in his early-mid-twenties and he lost it in the ocean. Sadly, his mom had passed away between giving him the necklace and him losing it, so it was a really tragic loss for him. My dad ended up getting another one, but he always warned me to not wear mine into the ocean, To this day, I’ve never worn mine in any body of water for that reason. I’m usually extremely careful with it. However, because I wear it all the time, sometimes I forget when it’s on or off. It feels like a part of me. I didn’t realize I had worn it down to the beach on Monday. I was careless when I took it off and placed it in the cup holder of my beach chair. After being on the beach all day, I had forgotten that I put it there. My wife and I started packing up our things, and it must’ve fallen out into the sand right then and there without me realizing. I wouldn’t realize that it was missing until the next morning when we started packing up to go home. Sorry for the long text! There’s a lot to tell being somewhat of a family tradition.”
Robert – Thank you for sharing your story and allowing me to help find and return this precious treasure back to where it belongs.
I heard from Robert today (Friday) and his treasure is back home!
Jim
