Uncategorized Category | The Ring Finders

Platinum Class Ring Lost In Snow, Found With A Metal Detector In South Portland, Maine

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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On Tuesday evening I received a phone call, from Hailey and I could hear the anguish, in her voice. Approximately an hour earlier, at 9:00pm, Hailey lost her 2023 Oak Hill High School class ring. Hailey is a second year student at Southern Maine Community College (SMCC), in South Portland, Maine and was sledding, on a very small hill, on campus. Hailey and her friends didn’t have anything to slide with, so they improvised some pizza boxes, into sleds. With a snowy winter storm still raging on, Hailey was enjoying the fun of sliding down the hill, with her friends. On her third or fourth trip down the hill, Hailey noticed her 2023 Platinum class ring was no longer on her finger. Hailey and her friends search the snowy hillside for an hour, without finding the ring. At this point, one of her friends suggested Hailey call The Ring Finders of Maine. I told Hailey that I could absolutely search for her ring, but not until the next morning. Because the snow storm was still fairly strong and raging on, I wasn’t going to drive out there, until the storm stopped.

The next morning I arrived at SMCC and called Hailey. Hailey told me she would be right down. I saw a father and his two young children, sledding on the hill and asked them if they had found a ring. They had not. So while waiting for Hailey, I gave the children a demonstration, on how a metal detector works. They had shown an interest, when they saw my metal detector and since I like to set up and calibrate my detector, before I search, it was a win, win. The children loved how my detector, could find metal, under the snow. As I was finishing the demonstration, Hailey arrived, from her dorm room. Hailey then showed me the area they had been sledding and it was a very small area. I was able to search the area in just 10 minutes or so. Since I had searched just half of the hill area, she had been sledding down, I told Hailey, I would expand the search area, to the other half of the hill, on the chance it flew off her finger to that area. I would at the same time, research the area, I had just covered, At the bottom of the hill, there is a parking lot and some snow had been plowed , onto the base of the hill. I asked Hailey if the snowbanks, at the bottom of the hill, had been there, the previous evening. She replied they had not. I was concerned that her class ring may have been plowed into the now fairly frozen snowbank. Hailey had to go back to her dorm room for a few minutes and as she left, I started my grid search, at the top of hill and worked my way down, towards the snowbank and parking lot. I was unable to locate the ring, on the hill. As I stood at the base of the hill, looking at the snowbank, I knew there was no way I would find the ring, deep inside the frozen snowbank. From the parking lot, I  searched the hard packed snow, leading up to the snowbank. The ring was not in the parking lot. I decided to search the snowbank as best as I could, from the parking lot side first. Almost immediately, I received a very faint low tone, reading 05, on my VDI screen and approximately 6-7 inches in the snow. The reading told me that it was definitely a low conducting, non ferrous metal, the same as Platinum. Unfortunately there are many non ferrous trash signals that could ring up in that range, including different foils. It wasn’t a great sounding target but I needed to perform due diligence and check the target out. I removed some snow and ice and then I saw a reddish or purplish colored stone, in a silver colored setting. The ring has been found. I took a few photos, of the ring, as I first saw it. I then called Hailey and as the phone was ringing, Hailey appears at the top of the hill. I asked if she could come down, to the bottom of the hill, so I could ask  her some more questions. When she made it to the bottom, I told her to look in the dug hole, in the snow and asked her “ Does that look familiar?” As Hailey looked into the hole and saw her class ring she says, “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. Thank you” and picks the ring up, placing it back on her finger. Hailey kept thanking me and seeing just how much this ring means to her put a big smile on my face. I then told Hailey that she shouldn’t be wearing her rings, while sledding. Hailey told me she would never wear them again, while sledding. A lesson learned for a young college student, smiles all around and another ring back on the finger. I have the best job, in the world.😀❤️🙏

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Lost Hearing Aid on One Acre Property…Found by Metal Detectorist Pro in Burtonsville, Maryland

  • from Washington (District of Columbia, United States)
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Mickey’s very expense hearing aid which was miraculously recovered by local metal detectorist Pro Brian Rudolph

Mickey excitedly holds up the priceless hearing device that was found by professional item recovery specialist Brian Rudolph of THE RING FINDERS and METAL DETECTING ADVENTURES.

Brian Rudolph, Lost Item Recovery Specialist (also known as THE RING HERO) searches  Land, Water, Sand, Snow, Leaves, Cliffs, Houses and Vehicles. He Will Find Your Lost Item! Call ASAP (301) 466-8644!

If you are of senior age or perhaps someone who is younger but has a hearing issue, you would know just how expensive hearing aids can cost. My parents have spent thousands of dollars on various models over the years and their latest pair cost nearly $5500! My eighty-eight year old client Mickey had recently invested in a pair of aids worth the same amount of money. Sadly, one of them was lost out on his property in Burtonsville, Maryland.

I received a call from Mickey’s granddaughter Erin, explaining that Mickey was lawn mowing and raking the leaves throughout the one acre estate. After he was done outside, he noticed that one of the hearing aids was no longer in his ear. He panicked and looked everywhere for the little device. He even bought a metal detector, but after nine hours of searching between my client and his family members, Erin decided to look online for help. Gladly, the granddaughter found the elite international metal detectorist directory called THE RING FINDERS. That is how we ended up talking about the lost item.

A few days following our talk on the phone, I drove to Mickey’s house with the hope of saving my client thousands of dollars if he had to replace the hearing aid / set. As it turned out, I successfully solved the mystery as to where the small object (with barely any metal within its plastic chamber to detect with my machine) had been lost. I found the little guy underneath a pile of leaves. It was only after I grid searched a portion of the backyard and as well as a section of leaves that had been previously detected by the client and family members. It was in those leaves that I was able to find that very important device! Mickey was in shock with excitement! He said to his family while I had been metal detecting, “The guy is wasting his time back there. There is no way on earth will he find that hearing aid.” I was happy to prove my client wrong.

Not only did I save a whole lot of money for my client by successfully recovering his lost hearing aid, but more importantly…I helped an elderly man once again communicate effectively with his darling old wife and beautiful family!

SUBSCRIBE TO BRIAN’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL TO VIEW THIS SEARCH VIDEO!

To receive a NOTIFICATION letting you know when the video is uploaded to YOUTUBE: go to YOUTUBE by CLICKING THE LINK BELOW or OPEN your YOUTUBE APP on your device, go to the SEARCH BAR, type: THE RING HERO, click SUBSCRIBE and lastly, CLICK ON THE « BELL » to receive NOTIFICATIONS when this latest search video is available to view! 

BRIAN’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL LINK: 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmcn09QqWhHrj-7SGqlUBJQ

CALL BRIAN RUDOLPH WITH THE RING FINDERS AT (301) 466-8644!

VISIT THE RING FINDER’S WEBSITE TO READ MORE OF BRIAN’S SUCCESSFUL SEARCH STORIES at:

TheRingFinders.com/Brian.Rudolph/

HE WILL RETURN TO YOU WHAT HAS BEEN LOST!

VISIT BRIAN’S BUSINESS WEBSITE FOR ADDITIONAL SERVICES, STORIES AND INFORMATION AT: www.MetalDetectingAdventures.net

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22k Gold Ring Lost in the Snow is Recovered in Schaumburg, Illinois

  • from Rockford (Illinois, United States)
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Saturday morning while searching for a set of keys for another client, I received a phone call from Karteek. When I was able to return his call he asked if I looked for lost jewlery. I assured him that I most definitely do search for lost jewlery.  He went on to tell me that he had just lost a gold ring in his backyard, and with the snow storm that we had the day before he couldn’t locate it in the deep snow in his yard. We figured I was only about 15 minutes away, so I told him that I was on my way and I’d be there shortly! When I arrived Karteek met me by the garage and took me around into the backyard. I could clearly see where he had been standing and where the snow was disturbed in their attempts to find the missing ring. So I started a small grid search,  starting left to right. After about 5 passes and along the right side of the grid pattern I got solid 20 on the Equinox 800. I used my Garrett pinpointer to then search the deep snow. The pinpointer immediately went off indicating that something very shallow was very close. So I started to sift through the snow until I seen the glint of gold!! I had Karteek come over and see it laying in the snow. He immediately grabbed it and slid it back on to his finger where it belongs!

Success!!

Another smile for the book!!

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Keys Lost in Snow, Recovered in Elk Grove Village, Illinois

  • from Rockford (Illinois, United States)
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Sunday morning, 12/29/2025,  I received a text from Rachel asking if I might be able to help find a set of missing keys that were dropped 2 days ago. The keys went missing right before a big snow storm hit. She dropped them Friday night while she was out walking her dogs before the storm. She had spent hours shoveling snow and looking for them on Saturday and Sunday morning. Sunday morning she found me on TheRingFinders.com.

When I arrived Rachel showed me the path that her and her dogs took to go on their walk Friday night. I started my search from her apartment sidewalk, across the street, to a grass area were she let the dogs run around and play. A hilly area, where Rachel walked along the top of a hill and walked back along the bottom of the hill. So I searched the loop that she walked but, didn’t find them. So I then started searching inside of her loop. On the slippery,  snow covered hillside I got a solid signal! But I knew if I picked up one foot and tried to brush the snow away I would slip and fall down the slope! So I slid down the hill across the signal area! When I looked back, there was the black Steelers lanyard and her keys, that we were looking for!!

Success!!

Another smile for the book!!

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Lost Platinum Ring Recovered at Lakeside Beach, South Lake Tahoe

  • from Carson City (Nevada, United States)
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At 7:05 pm, the night before Thanksgiving, I received a message about a lost ring at Lakeside Beach, South Lake Tahoe. According to the client, that afternoon he lost his platinum ring throwing a football with family members on the beach.
At 8:10 am, Thanksgiving morning, I arrived at Lakeside Beach and began a grid search of the pinned location.
At 8:20 am the client with two family members arrived at the beach. After recounting the previous day’s movements, they collectively revised the search area.
I started a new grid search and literally within 2 minutes got a solid target signal near one of the picnic tables. I didn’t even need the scoop, I just reached down and sifted the sand with my fingers—Lost platinum ring found!
The client was blown away with the speed of the recovery.
A great way to start a Thanksgiving morning with a lost ring recovery.

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A Heart-Pounding iPhone Recovery in the Muddy Depths

  • from Chisago City (Minnesota, United States)
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I got a call passed along by Darrin Gray a fellow Ring Finder about a couple whose evening stroll in a park in St. Louis Park, MN, took a disastrous turn. While crossing a pedestrian bridge over a creek, they accidentally dropped their cell phone into the water below. To make it even more gut-wrenching, it was a brand-new Apple iPhone—less than two months old—and supposedly waterproof. Ouch! They reached out to see if I’d be interested in attempting a recovery. I was about 45 minutes away, with a packed schedule for the next couple of days, but I had a narrow window that evening. It was already 6:30 PM, so by the time I’d arrive, it’d be pitch dark. I quickly gathered my gear—waders, lights, scoops, and my metal detector—stuff I hadn’t pulled out in over a year—and hit the road.I met the client in a dimly lit parking lot under the glow of streetlights. Suited up and ready, I waded into the creek with my tools and a dash of optimism. The drop spot was right in the center, about 4 feet from the bridge’s drip line. Sounds straightforward, right? Not so much. The water was littered with sunken trees, branches, and debris, but the real nightmare was the mud—18 to 20 inches deep. Every step took 3-4 minutes: plant one foot, wiggle the other free from the suction, repeat. It was exhausting!After about 20 minutes of slogging to the center, I started detecting. The once-clear water turned into murky soup as I scooped up targets. But persistence paid off—out popped the iPhone! Now came the trek back to shore, phone in hand. It was dead at first, but the client later confirmed it charged up and worked perfectly.Moral of the story: Even « waterproof » tech isn’t mud-proof, but with the right tools and grit, lost treasures can resurface. If you’ve got a similar saga, hit me up! Paul Nolan Ring Finders #LostAndFound #MetalDetecting #iPhoneRecovery

 

 

 

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Heroic Effort Leads to an Unexpected Recovery

  • from Chisago City (Minnesota, United States)
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Heroic Effort Leads to an Unexpected Recovery

What started as a routine wildlife photography outing turned into a life-threatening situation when a man fell through the ice in a marsh. After struggling for an hour to free himself, he called 911. Responding officers rushed to the scene in the dark, navigating treacherous terrain to save him from freezing to death.

To reach the victim, one officer crossed a 3-foot-deep stream, climbed a bank, and pushed another 75 feet through brambles and cattails into the marsh. The rescue was successful—but in the process, the officer lost his personal cellphone. With a fresh 3-inch snowfall covering the area, finding it seemed impossible.

Enter Darrin Gray from The Ring Finders. Darrin contacted fellow Ring Finder Paul Nolan, who happened to be working just 15 minutes away and had his metal detecting gear with him. Despite the bitter cold and no waders, Paul agreed to give it a shot.

The search began along the snow-covered path, through trees and brush, and into the marsh. Targets under the ice slowed progress—beer cans, rusty metal, and other debris. To speed things up, the officer used a handheld pin-pointer (a small, carrot-shaped detector that vibrates near metal) while Paul swept the area with his detector.

Breaking through thin ice, stomping through cattails, and clearing countless false targets, they worked their way back toward the spot where the victim had been rescued. Then, near the creek bank where the officer had climbed out of the icy water, the pin-pointer vibrated strongly. Pulling apart bent reeds, they found it—the officer’s phone! After 40 hours in the marsh, it was intact, just with a dead battery.

Against all odds, the phone was recovered. It hadn’t been submerged, and now it could be returned to a hero who risked everything to save someone in need. When asked if he’d receive an award for going above and beyond, the officer simply said, “No—it was just another night at work.”

A Big Thank You

To all the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way to keep us safe—thank you. And to Darrin and Paul from The Ring Finders, your determination turned a lost cause into a  lost cause into a success story.

 

This is what a true hero looks like with his phone.

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Titanium Wedding Ring Lost In Old Orchard Beach Maine, Found Visually, While Searching With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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I received a call from Dave, just after noon on Monday, November 24th. Dave lost his wedding ring, of 15 years, while moving a vehicle. Dave works at a local auto dealer and repair shop and has asked not to mention the establishment or use his photo, in the story. I will absolutely follow his wish. Anyways, Dave had shook his hand, approximately an hour before calling me, as he was getting into a vehicle, he had to move, in the lot. When he shook his hand, his wedding ring went rolling across the lot and was headed towards an embankment of leaves and rocks, leading down, to a small brook. Dave said the ring was rolling very slowly and thought the leaves and rocks would stop the ring, as soon as it reached the end of the pavement. So, as the ring slowly rolled towards the leaves, Dave moved the vehicle and would come back to retrieve the wedding ring, in just a minute or so. Once Dave came back for his ring, he couldn’t find it. He visually searched the leaves and rocks, along the parking lots edge. Dave could not find the ring. Dave also used an inexpensive metal detector, to search the area. Again no ring was found. This is when Dave called me and asked for help. I told Dave I would be right there in approximately 5 minutes, as I live near Saco Main Street less than two miles, from where the ring was lost.

Once I arrived, Dave showed me where he was, when the ring came off his finger and rolled towards the embankment. Dave told me he actually saw the ring rolling and was certain it would be along the edge of parking lot, in an area just 25-30 feet in length. I looked at the area and thought the ring should be right there, as it was slowly rolling and not flying off his finger. I started the detector up and took out a gold test ring and showed Dave how my detector sounds and works. Dave thought his ring was either Tungsten or Titanium but couldn’t remember. Not a problem, the detector will find it, if it is made of metal. Once the detector was set up and running, I worked my way from the east end of the parking area, to the western end of the lot. Nothing found but small pieces of foil were found. I then took a step down the embankment and headed back to the east side of the lot. Again, nothing but trash. I repeated these steps, all the way to the bottom of the embankment. I even searched the brook, at the bottom and the wedding ring still had not been found. Dave was in disbelief and flabbergasted, as was I. I then started searching the area again, only this time I was searching north and south, up and down the embankment , from the parking lot to the brook, up to the lot, back to the brook. Still nothing and at this point, I told Dave that I would switch from my 11” coil, to my 8” sniper coil. I was thinking the ring may have gotten into a crevice and the smaller coil would get into the crevice, easier than the 11” coil. I also asked Dave if he had possibly run the ring over, moving the car and moving the ring, out of the area. No way possible, I was told . The ring was almost to the embankment when he last saw it. No way the wedding ring was near the moving and or parked cars. I then asked Dave if he had looked under the parked cars and he told me that he hadn’t. I asked if he had a flashlight and if he could search under the parked cars, while I performed my third search of the embankment and brook.As I was once again searching, Dave searched under the parked cars, with the flashlight, without finding the ring. I also struck out, for the third time, on the embankment. As I stood talking with Dave, we just couldn’t comprehend how a ring rolling slowly towards the embankment, could just disappear. I told Dave that it just had to be under one of the parked cars and that the cars should be moved, while I once again, for the fourth time, search the embankment. I was also concerned that if the vehicles weren’t searched underneath and moved, the ring may be hit, the next time someone just got in the vehicle and drove off. Moving the vehicles now, in a more controlled environment would be much better. As I was searching, the vehicles were moved and the ring still wasn’t found. When I finished the fourth search, I told Dave that I would return, in the morning, with a leaf blower and blow all the leaves, from the area. But first I wanted to try a little closer to the road, although I did’t think it would have rolled that far, I had to do my due diligence and search it. Still nothing was found and as I was walking back, I heard Dave say, “Oh my God, it’s right here.” As I looked over towards him he reached down and picked up his wedding ring. He found it right where one of the cars had been parked but Dave didn’t see the ring, with the flashlight. Dave also missed seeing it, once the vehicles had been moved. It just blended in with asphalt, pine needles, etc.. It appears that the ring had done a complete 180 boomerang, from the last time Dave had seen the ring. Did the ring hit a pebble of something else and turn around? We will never know. What I do know is that after searching the embankment four times, I just knew the ring wasn’t there. It just had to be under one of the parked cars and once the vehicles were moved, there it was. So, another smile on the face and another ring, back on the finger. I have the best job, in the world.😀❤️🙏

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Lost Wedding Band Found In Chicago

  • from Chicago (Illinois, United States)
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Received a call from a woman whose husband lost his gold wedding band while wiping off the snow from his car.

This turned out to be a record breaker for me, found it on the first swing!!  Doesn’t get any better than that.

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Lost Wedding Ring Found in Oak Forest, Illinois

  • from Chicago (Illinois, United States)
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Received a call from a woman that lost her matching wedding ring while brushing off snow on her porch.

We got a lot of snow and with the addition of a lot of rebar in the ground it made this one of the more difficult searches but fortunately after about 3 hours I hit it.

She was a happy camper!!

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