Lost Mercedes Benz Key Fob found at Silverstrand Beach Oxnard by Dave TheRingFinder


Less Stress…..
….is what Dawn was hoping for as she revealed that last summer her son and husband Wayne decided to wrestle around in the dark. Afterwards Wayne noticed his rings missing. They searched with various methods but got nothing for their effort. When Wayne suddenly passed away recently, their son asked Dawn if dad had ever found his rings. In the backyard they showed me what they remember happening that evening. Starting a grid search I was just about ready to widen the search area when my MXT metal detector revealed 2 items not too far from each other. Pinpointing closer revealed Wayne’s rings tucked away in the grass! I texted Dawn and son to come out back. They each reached down and pulled up a ring, looking to me and the sky, they said thank you for giving us 2 things to stress less about!
Jonathan


Pinky Gold….
….Got a call from Steve, he told me he thought his ring came off last autumn while putting the summer tools and machines away. We went over the 3 location he remembered being. Starting with the middle location my MXT metal detector didn’t register anything. Choosing the north location, I got a nice signal in a pile of leaves. Pinpointing the location revealed Steve’s pinky ring hiding below! I knocked on the door and asked him to follow me. A look of surprise appeared as he gazed upon his ring! His wife came to see and a pinky swear between the 2 sealed the deal that the ring will stay on….hopefully!
Jonathan


As the snow was falling in Lincoln Heights, so were the keys Charlotte had in her pocket. While throwing a ball and taking her phone out of her pocket, the keys dislodged themselves from inside her jacket. That action left her stranded at the park because her only car key was on that ring. As she looked frantically, Charlotte asked some of the other people in the park to help her look. Sadly, no one wanted to help her look. With somber hearts and heads hung low, Charlotte and her dog walked home that night. After returning home from a long trip the next day Sergio her husband heard the news of Charlotte’s lost keys. While returning to the park to look Sergio felt the need to find someone to help them. Google gave Sergio my name and we started talking that morning about the lost keys. I got myself ready and headed out as soon as Sergio gave me the go ahead. After going over the details for how the keys were lost, I started my search right by the car that Charlotte had exited from. The many foot paths and shovel marks made seeing any sign of the keys impossible. Resorting back to the east to west grid search pattern, I tried to keep a tight weave as I swung my coil back and forth. After making about halfway up the hill I was talking with Charlotte about her actions. She described walking up and down the sled hill and she showed me where she was throwing the ball for her dog. I switched my search pattern to north and south. As I made my 4th path up the hill I got a really high tone on the metal detector. I swung the coil over the target, I could see it was only showing a few inches down. I knew the snow was over a foot deep, so the target had to be big. Kicking at the snow moved it away from the grass revealing the cluster of keys. Shouting to Charlotte I found the keys, she walked toward me with a tired gate. The weight of the lost keys had been lifted and she was so happy.
Will the keys work after being frozen in the snow




This ring find began when I got a text from Aaliyah from Green Bay, Wisconsin saying I was recommended by Don my fellow ring finder on Oahu. Aaliyah stated, « I lost my engagement ring at Hickam Beach. I’m wondering if you serve that area? » She also texted it was on Monday and in the sand. I called Aaliyah and agreed to meet her and her husband Wyatt at the beach before the next round of rain came in. When I arrived at Hickam Beach Wyatt and Aaliyah were waiting. They showed me the area and explained she had put the ring in her purse for safe keeping but many family members had been in her purse to get items and she believed at some point the ring must have fallen out. Wyatt drew a grid box in the sand where they thought the ring would be. Oahu has had a major storm the last few days and the Kona winds had punished this shore line. The ring could have traveled in many directions. I started the grid search and the first item I found was a gold plated cross. I told them I think that’s a great sign, Jesus is working with us. I continued on and when I was on the second to last line of the grid I got a sweet solid tone center line dot on the Manticore and it was shallow. One scoop and the target was acquired. As a sifted the sand a tiny yellow gold ring with a big diamond came into view. I grabbed the ring from the scoop and held it up so Aaliyah & Wyatt could see. I told them it was one inch out of the grid so it probably wasn’t their ring. « Just kidding » I said as I handed Aaliyah her ring. I could see an expression of relief and disbelief at the same time. The current storm system probably saved the day to keep other detectorists away and from finding her ring. We were blessed! Aloha to Aaliyah & Wyatt!

Back where it belongs!
I received a call from a lady named Dusty who had lost her wedding ring in her backyard about ten months ago. As you can imagine, after that much time had passed she had nearly given up hope of ever seeing it again. The ring meant a lot to her, and she had searched for it several times herself but just couldn’t locate it.
Dusty explained that she believed the ring slipped off while she was working outside in the backyard. She had looked over the area many times, but as most people quickly discover, a small gold ring can disappear instantly in grass and soil.
As I often tell people, time is usually of the essence when a ring is lost, but it’s never too late to look. Rings can sit hidden in the ground for months or even years waiting for the right metal detector to pass over them.
After searching online for help, Dusty came across The Ring Finders and my page, Phillip Mendez – Ring Finder, and decided to reach out.
When I arrived at her home, we walked through the backyard and talked about the day the ring went missing. Reconstructing the moment someone lost their ring can make a huge difference in narrowing down the search area. Once we identified the most likely spot, I began a careful grid search with my metal detector.
Before long, I heard a solid signal in the grass. After pinpointing the target and gently moving aside the grass and soil, there it was — Dusty’s wedding ring, sitting just below the surface after ten long months.
When I showed her the ring, the relief and excitement on her face made the entire search worthwhile. Something she thought was gone forever was suddenly back where it belonged.
Recoveries like this are exactly why I love doing what I do. To many people it’s just a piece of metal, but to the person who lost it, it represents memories and a lifetime of meaning.
Another successful recovery and a very happy ending.
If you’ve lost a ring in your yard, park, or shallow water, don’t give up hope. Even if it’s been months, it may still be right where it was.
—
Phillip Mendez



Sometimes a fun weekend can turn stressful in the blink of an eye—but with the right tools and a little persistence, a happy ending is still possible.
I received a message from Annie, who had been searching the internet trying to help her friend Kelly recover a lost ring. Kelly and a group of friends were enjoying a girls’ weekend at a lake house. They were all hanging out on the upper deck, laughing and having a great time.
At one point Kelly threw her hands up in excitement—and that’s when disaster struck.
All three of her rings flew off her fingers.
Two of the rings landed safely on the deck, but the third ring completely disappeared. After retracing what happened, they realized the ring had fallen roughly 70 feet from the upper deck down to the concrete below. The group believed it may have bounced and landed somewhere in the leaves surrounding the area.
That’s when Annie reached out to me.
When I got the call, I knew time was critical. I only had about an hour and a half before sunset, and the lake house was about a 45-minute drive away. As any metal detectorist knows, daylight can make all the difference during a search like this—especially when leaves and debris are involved.
I loaded up my gear and headed out as quickly as possible.
When I arrived, Kelly showed me where she had been sitting on the upper deck when the rings flew off. After surveying the area below, it was clear that the ring could have bounced anywhere among the leaves and debris near the concrete.
I fired up my detector and began a careful grid search of the suspected landing zone.
About 30 minutes into the search, I got the signal I was hoping for. Just under a layer of leaves near the concrete, my detector locked onto a solid target.
A quick sweep of the leaves—and there it was.
Kelly’s missing ring.
The relief and excitement from the group was immediate. What started as a stressful moment during their girls’ weekend ended with smiles, laughter, and a recovered ring.
It’s always rewarding to help turn a lost moment into a found memory.
Another successful recovery—and another reminder that it’s never too late to search for something that matters.
Phillip Mendez
Proud Member of The Ring Finders
Equinox 900 TID 25


Got a call from out of state, to look for a buried box of silver and gold and family items. A father, with dementia, had buried his savings somewhere on their four acre plot of land a number of years ago. It was thought to have been buried in an old military amo box about 4 feet deep. They had been digging areas with an excavator and sifting the soil for weeks. They purchased a two box deep seeking metal detector to no avail. Thus the call. There was quite a distance involved, but the challenge and agreements made, I succumbed. I committed to a two day search all expenses paid expedition. Since it was believed to be in a amo box, I brought a Fisher M97, my XP Deus 1&2 and an amo box for readings. Using my 13 inch coil, a modified relic program, searching with the coil about 9 inches above the ground and a lot of luck, I had a good hit, but high numbers. I knew a amo box would be high. I used a 4 foot steel probe and felt the soil was easier to penetrate than surrounding soil and I hit something solid, but not metal. Bring in the excavator! At 85 I don’t dig four foot holes. Two scoops, first hole, success!!! Box was plastic but high numbers were because of the silver coins and bullion he had collected. The one gold coin didn’t seem to have much affect on the readings. Father united with his savings.

On March 12, 2026, around 1:15pm I got a text message from Mike, owner of LMS Metal Detecting saying, Jim, you should be getting a call about a lost phone in MB up near the dunes. His name is Hunter. Just before 2 pm, Hunter called asking if I could help find an IPhone, I agreed, got the address and was on my way.
When I got to the beach access, I called Hunter to say I was there. He said he was about 10 minutes away but told me to go to the house on the left and somebody there could direct me to the location. Spencer and Scott had just driven in the driveway. We introduced ourselves and they showed me down to the beach and the area where they said the phone was pinging. I turned on the Equinox 800, took about 3-5 steps and got a booming signal with a VDI (visual display indicator) showing numbers jumping between 28-32. Bingo! I dug a shallow scoop of sand and uncovered the cell phone. The search lasted no more than 10 seconds. As we’re standing there, Hunter and Jacob walked out on the beach. This is when I learned the phone belonged to Jacob. He turned on the phone and said, “It works!” I could see the relief on Jacob’s face when he got his phone back and it worked.
Hunter – Thanks for calling me to help!
Jacob – Glad I could help find your phone. You guys have fun and be safe.
Jim
