Lost Wedding Ring Found! – Simmons Island Beach, WI
An afternoon of summertime fun and relaxation for Illinois residents, Brian and Stephanie Barsotti and daughter, Isabella, ended suddenly when Stephanie’s custom-designed, platinum wedding ring was knocked off her finger by a tennis ball. The ring subsequently disappeared into the waters of Lake Michigan.
The loss was made all the more gut wrenching since Stephanie’s Great Aunt Rita, who passed away four years ago, had gifted the emerald-cut diamond to her for her engagement. Now it seemed to be gone forever.
A sleepless, emotional night ensued. The pain of loss was acute; the ring was one of the most precious “things” Stephanie treasured. Brian had created the setting fourteen and half years ago. The couple was already planning their upcoming 15th wedding anniversary. This, and the sentimental attachment to Stephanie’s Great Aunt, made the loss almost unbearable for Stephanie.
In an email to her Facebook friends, Stephanie wrote of her loss, “Maybe it’ll wash up in a week or a year or 5 years from now and someone else will enjoy my treasure. Maybe some kind person will come across my beautiful ring and want to help find who it belongs to.”
Reaching out to her friends paid off! One of them pointed Brian and Stephanie to the « kind » people listed on The Ring Finders directory of metal-detecting specialists.
I received an email from Stephanie followed by a phone call the following afternoon. Would I help? Within a few hours I made the hour and a quarter drive to Kenosha, Wisconsin and met up with the Barsotti family on location at Simmons Island Beach. After an hour of searching with my Minelab Excalibur, the precious ring found its way into my sieve. I waded back to the shore and after making pretense of needing more information I presented Stephanie with her stunning ring. Needless to say, the family was ecstatic! Hugs ensued. More hugs ensued. And did I mention that more hugs ensued! Got to love this hobby! 🙂
Brian and Stephanie, may the story of your ring, and all its treasurable memories, continue for many years to come. Thank you too for your generous reward.
If you know someone who has lost a ring or other sentimental jewelry item, chances are it is still there, waiting to be found. Contact a member of The Ring Finders near you. Who knows, you might find yourself hugging a total stranger!
TESTIMONIAL: Right before school started we decided to take a drive to Simmons Island Beach in Kenosha, WI. My husband, daughter and I enjoyed 2.5 hours in the water and sun until our game of monkey in the middle turned into a nightmare. The tennis ball hit my ring finger in such a way that my wedding ring popped off and landed in Lake Michigan. My heart sunk as we searched, the sand moving between our toes, and we came up empty handed. After hours of tears and not being able to sleep I took to social media and made a public post. Some kind folks suggested we contact The Ring Finders, which lead us to Paul Humphreys. Paul met us on a moments notice where I lost my precious ring. With his equipment and big heart he combed the waters for nearly 90 minutes and just when I thought he was calling it quits, he produced my ring in his angel-like hand. My nightmare turned miracle! I am forever grateful to Paul and hope my story trickles out there so others know about this heartfelt service he and The Ring Finders are doing for folks who lose their precious treasures.” Stephanie Barsotti
Andrew lost his ring in Lake Michigan while swimming at a 4th of July picnic. He discovered Ring Finders a few days later and arranged for a hunt. I traveled with Brian Pasterski, fellow detectorist, because he is a good detectorist and seasoned diver if we need to go deep. Luckily, we only had to search in neck-deep water, which is very refreshing on a hot, sunny day. We used Garrett AT Pros. There were large limestone rocks, which could have been bad if the ring slipped between some large ones. Luckily, Brian detected it under a small rock and dove down to retrieve it. There was no junk in the rocks which made it much easier. The only signals we found were the ring, and one high signal buried deep. Andrew was overjoyed to have it returned. 