In August 2024, I got a message from Shawn asking if I could come locate his white gold wedding ring.
He told me he was doing some carpentry work at Dagney’s house in Portland. He went out on the deck to brush off some sawdust and saw his wedding ring fly off his finger and drop into the brush far below.
I knew the area, and how steep the hillside was, but agreed to come take a look.
I arrived at the beautiful home on the butte, and Shawn explained what happened. The balcony was about four stories above a steep slope covered in blackberry brambles. I had him toss a stand-in ring (made from copper tubing) with a section of pink ribbon, where he thought the ring landed. It immediately disappeared into the blackberries.
Dagney and I went down the long stairway to under the house and saw that you couldn’t see the ground through the brush, so you couldn’t tell how steep the area was, or even where the ground was.
I reluctantly told Shawn and Dagney that I did not think I could safely get the the area the ring should be, and both were clearly disappointed, but understood. Before leaving, I told them I would be willing to come back and try again. Since the ring was not going anywhere, I asked them to contact me once some of the greenery had died back.
Fast forward five months. I received a message from Dagney, with a photo of the hillside. It looked better, so we set-up a time for me to return. Having had some time to develope a plan, I loaded a gas trimmer with a brush-cutter blade, long handle and hand clippers, a machete, gloves, good boots, and my Minelab Manticore.
When I arrived about 9:30, I met with Shawn and Dagney again. I had Shawn go over the details of how the ring was lost, and point out where he thought it landed. I explained my plan was to cut a path into the general area and locate the copper ring with ribbon he had dropped 5 months ago, then expand the search from there.
I hauled all the gear down the stairs and started. I cut my way close to the suspected area, then opened up a space to work. Not wanting to risk hitting the ring with cutter blade, I would chop back the upper section of the blackberries, use the clippers to get closer to the ground, then go over the area with the metal detector. I got a few promissing hits, which turned out to be trash, much to the dismay of Shawn and Dagney who were watching from above. A little further up the hill, I found the copper ring/ribbon thing. I held it up for Shawn to see. I started clearing brush to my left for about 10 feet, detecting every few feet with no luck. I went back and started moving right. Within 2 feet, I got a clean tone from the Manticore and knew it had to be what I was looking for. I went in with the pinpointer and….nothing!? Thinking I was crazy, I used the clippers to trim some more brambles, and there in the dirt was the ring! I looked up the the balcony to share the news, but nobody was there. I snapped a couple photos, and began packing up my gear. As I was doing that, Dagney looked over the balcony and told me Shawn had an appointment and had left. I told her it was pointless for me to keep searching for the ring, and I would be up to explain in a few minutes.
I hauled everything back up the stairs and piled it by my truck. Dagney opened the door, I went inside and told her the reason it was pointless to continue looking was because I found it, holding it up for her. She nearly fell to her knees telling me how happy she was Shawn would get his ring back. Sweaty me got a big hug..
Took a touch more then 5 months waiting, and 4 1/2 hours of work, but ring reunited……
