Uncategorized Category | Page 448 of 481 | The Ring Finders

The 8th August 2013 had been a beautiful day in Swanage. The high temperatures and school holidays had brought many to the beach to enjoy the sun, sea and sand. All though, bar one lady- Mrs Pamela Knight on holiday to see friends for a few days. She had dropped and lost her ring into the sand and watched in horror as it quickly sank and disappeared.

I knew this time of year and idyllic conditions brought the beach treasure hunters down in their masses so time was against us. Arriving the same day at the location already there were four other detectorists combing the beach-luckily they hadn’t found it and within 10 minutes I found her lost ring in the sand.

Mrs Knight was overwhelmed as she thought she would never see her lost ring again. She paid me a huge thanks and made a kind donation to the Air Ambulance.

Tuesday I was contacted by Josh P. about his fiancée’s lost engagement ring, as I was on my way up to Traverse City, MI I was unable to help him until today. His fiancée gave him her ring before she washed her hands and he put it in his pocket for safe keeping. He was on his way back to their apartment when he crossed a 20 foot wide thicket filled with pricker bushes and tree branches and felt something hit his leg and soon discovered he had a hole in his pocket. The ring fell out just before he exited the thicket and he thought it was lost for good. After looking for a while he went to the internet and found my name through the ringfinders directory and immediately gave me a call.

My detecting partner Dave B. and I got to Josh’s apartment around 10:30am and began to unload our detectors. No sooner did we have our detectors on and a good ring sound rang out and in the tall grass under the prickers we found the white gold diamond ring. Josh’s fiancée wasn’t there but he promised to send me a picture of her holding the ring. Josh was a very happy guy and was getting a new pair of pants without holes.

I first heard about a man, Dick L., who lost his retirement ring that he received from Oldsmobile after working there 39 years, while doing some yard work either at his church or his home. It was a year ago and his granddaughter, Lindsey, wanted to make it right for him so she hunted around for another ring just like the one he lost and then surprise him at a family gathering. A TV reporter from her town found out about the ring and the presentation to her grandfather and put the story on TV. For the first time in his 83 years he was speechless brought on by the caring act of his granddaughter and getting a likeness of his ring back.

I saw the story on Fox 17 and thought to myself I can find that ring. I called the TV reporter and asked her if I could contact Dick L. to see if I could find the original ring, she was so excited about the possibilities of finding it that she called Dick and he agreed to meet with me. Today my detecting friend Dave B. and I went to Portland after finding another ring for a gentleman that morning. We met with Dick and he took us over to the church where he had done some fencing and yard work last summer. He explained how he took a dirt pile and spread it out, filled in some holes and then sifted some of the dirt to take home and add to his lawn. A year ago the summer was very hot and his front lawn needed seeding and top dirt added to it to help out an almost dying lawn. After digging, raking and detecting for over 3 hours at the church we decided to take a look at Dick’s front yard. This summer the yard was very green and well manicured. An area not larger than 25′ by 50′ we started a grid search where he said he added top soil. In less than 5 minutes the ring was found setting in a small divot covered by some dead grass. How the ring escaped the eyes of it’s owner for a year and repeated mowing’s is amazing.

Dick’s granddaughter, Lindsey, accompanied us on both site searches and became a little teary eyed after the find knowing her grandfather was reunited with his original ring and Dick was again speechless for a moment. Lindsey contacted the TV station and they were able to get a reporter and cameraman out for the follow-up story. It became a nice lawn party with Dick’s wife, Lindsey, their other daughter and several neighbors driving by wondering what all the commotion was with the TV reporters doing there.

The funny thing is I told Dick this was going to be my 32nd story and he said that is my old football number « 32 ». It was this Irishman’s lucky day. By tomorrow this small town of Portland, MI will know « the rest of the story ».

My kids and I were searching Sandy Pond beach in Terra Nova, Newfoundland and we discovered an SD storage card.  When I got home I carefully removed the sand that was « caked in, » loaded it in my computer and saw almost 2,800 family vacation, wedding and party photos!  Sifting through the clues we zoned in on a photo of a wedding booklet for a couple married this past July, with only their first names.  Thanks to the internet, their online gift registry and many phone calls we reunited the card with some very thankful owners!  Paying it forward is cool; the gentleman is a professional balloon artist and is insisting on giving my kids a party as thanks!  We’re happy that 2,800 irreplacable memories weren’t lost.

After spending the morning at DeMarco Detector Sales getting a new detector to replace my Excalibur, I went to the beach to attempt a recovery. I was contacted by a distraught woman, Danielle, who was walking in the water with her fiancé when she was hit by a large wave, knocking her down in the water. She was flailing about; fearful she was going to drown. When she got home later she discovered that her engagement ring was gone.

When I met Danielle & her fiancé Daniel, they had a map drawn up with an X to mark the spot they thought the ring might be. They were walking north in knee deep water 2 hours before high tide when the incident occurred. I was here as low tide was approaching, hoping the ring would be in the wet sand.

I started a grid pattern. While searching, it started to rain, great… 15 minutes later a beautiful rainbow appeared. I thought that this might be a good sign. Well, I searched north for a block and a half. I rechecked the area with no luck. While searching I was watching Danielle. She kept crying. She was very upset. I felt bad.

I decided to check south of where they thought they were. I went another half a block, no luck. I have been searching for 3 hours and my arm was getting tired. I said to myself I am going to give it 2 more up & downs. The next down I found the ring. I had it in my scoop.

Dan & Danielle didn’t see me dig it. I started walking toward them looking beat & depressed. She said I can’t believe how hard you worked. Let me pay you for your troubles & asked if I could come back on Saturday to look again. I showed her my scoop and she saw the ring. She started to jump up and down & the tears were flowing. She kept hugging me. She must have hugged me 40 times. I told her that Dan is going to get jealous. Dan was just stunned that the ring was found.

We took some pictures and they gave me a very generous reward. The looks on their faces was really the only reward that I needed. I love that feeling of returning lost sentimental items and watching their reactions of the people who lost the item. I love my hobby!!

PS: The new detector worked GREAT!!

Below is Danielle’s version:

On Friday August ninth my evening began like so many others and ended like no other…My fiancée and I went to dinner and we were having a wonderful evening; great food, music and drinks. We were discussing what day we should plan our wedding, where the location would be etc. Later we left the restaurant and the idea of taking a walk on the beach to watch a lighting storm over the ocean seemed romantic and appealing. Once there, we walked hand and hand…the sound of the ocean and waves lapping up onto the shore was just so beautiful…so beautiful I decided I was going to go wading around in it. It was now dusk, and looking back, it wasn’t the brightest idea in the world because when I turned to look at my fiancée one of those very waves hit the back of my knees which caused me to loose my footing and down I went into the surf…I struggled to get myself up but it proved so difficult Daniel had to trudge in and come to my rescue.

Soaking wet and humiliated I made my way back to the car, dried off, changed into some clothes, and headed home…that’s when Daniel said “Babe…your ring!” I looked down to fine only a tan line where my ring once sat. It was gone…washed away in the tide when I struggled so foolishly to gain ground. I was instantly heartbroken and quite honestly, hysterical. I didn’t know what to do. The next morning I woke at dawn and raced to what I thought was the location, and began searching. Up and down the beach I walked straining my eyes in hopes to find this ring that meant so much to me, defeated I left only to return in the evening with a three pronged rake…I dug, and looked and cried, still there was no ring. It had seemed the ocean had taken it for her own and the sadness and guilt I felt only deepened.

Later that night I was on the computer…my ring of course being the only thing I could think about; I began searching lost rings in the ocean. As I scrolled through a sea of tales written about similar experiences I stumbled onto a site TheRingFinders.com, my curiosity was peaked. Clicking through the links I finally came across the name Dave Milsted and I thought to myself “It’s worth a shot to shoot him an e-mail…what’s the worst that could happen, he won’t answer”? Before I knew it I was writing to explain my desperate situation and asking for help. I clicked send and I waited. No sooner did I write I saw there was a reply…and it was Dave! I nearly jumped out of my chair I was so excited, I actually got a response and he was interested in coming to my aid…I had a shred of hope, finally.

After a brief correspondence Dave said he would be willing to search out my ring and that he could come that Monday…the longest two days of my life I must say, but I was overjoyed that there was a chance that maybe, just maybe, I would find this diamond in the sand. Monday finally came and Daniel and I met up with Dave at the beach entrance in Brigantine. I was a bit nervous due to the fact that the sky was beginning to look a bit ominous. The dark clouds stretched out over the dunes and we moved fast in an effort to cover what ground we could. Daniel pointed out where he roughly thought I went in and as I stood at the waters edge I thought “I think I was here” a bit south from where Daniel had suggested but he insisted, and I was unsure so I went and agonizingly looked on as Dave began his search. Tirelessly he moved back and forth through the water and along the beach scouring the sand with his new detector (I later found out I was the first to break this one in); it began to rain and I looked at the sky silently pleading for it to stop so Dave wouldn’t…he didn’t; instead he only continued. Finally, the rain eased up and a rainbow broke out in the horizon just over head of where Dave was working. Daniel said “Look a rainbow” I smiled a little and hoped it was a sign but one hour, two hours, three hours passed and still no ring. It wasn’t here I thought.

At this point my Rainbow man was now working in front of me in the tide; I told Daniel I was going to ask him if he would come back Saturday to work the South side where he was now inching towards, I just had this burning feeling it was there. Daniel was insistent that it wasn’t down that far but I said “It will make me feel better if I know this whole area was covered.” No sooner did I say it I saw Dave approaching and I slowly got myself up to meet him. As I moved closer to him I began to speak but before I could say a word he shook his sifter at me; I looked down and there it was, my ring!!! Dave pulled it from the ocean, and truly blew my mind! I was stunned, ecstatic and absolutely over the moon! Daniel couldn’t believe it. I must have hugged Dave ten times in that moment!

August 9^th was one of the worst days of my life, however, August 12^th became the day I will most remember and I have no one else but Dave to thank for that. He returned something precious to me…something I thought I would never see again. I’ll forever be thankful to you Dave. You are an angel…not just to me, but to so many others and you will forever be… my Rainbow Man. Thank you!

—

During the last week of July Renee, a mother of a 6 year old son and a new 7 week old who displayed her ring on her big toe, called me from finding my name on the ring finders directory. She had been visiting her sister in Holland, MI and went down to a little beach at Holland Township Park. The water that day was very rough with 3 to 4 foot waves so Renee just stood by the shore and played with her 6 year old son splashing in the water. As she bent over to touch the water her diamond ring fell off. The wedding band and diamond were connected together so it was a little heavier than just one ring and went under the water and sand very quickly with the rough water.

I went out the park the next day but the water was still rough and was hard to find a target let alone dig for it, so I told a teary eyed Renee that I would be back when the water was calm. I went back in a few days but was still unable to find it. I promised Renee that I had a network of detectorist  that would help. I put out a blast email and several people went out over the next couple of weeks to no avail. Then at a chance meeting a friend Dave B. met another detectorist at Lowes and told him the story about the ring and where it was supposed to be. Dave V. went out that night and found the ring. I have been detecting for 40 years and should have known that when the lake is rough and stormy the water rises and when it is calm the water recedes. Dave V. looked in the sand about 2 feet from shore and about 8″ down there it was, waiting for over 4 weeks to be found.

A call went out to Renee’s Marine husband, Teo, letting him know we found her ring and wanted to present it to her. In a couple of days they were going to a Marine family picnic at a park in my town and decided that would be a good place to present it. A video of the presentation was made and there were plenty of hugs and tears including mine. What a rewarding experience to return something that meant so much to a young couple. Semper Fi.

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Three weeks ago Christina and her Marine husband Mike were running their dog in the shallow water at Pinconning County  Park about a mile from their home. Whenever they go down to the water with their dog Mike gives Christina his 14K white gold wedding band with 10 diamonds for safe keeping. Christina put it on her finger and forgot about it when she picked up a clump of dirt from the bottom of the lake and threw it for her dog to chase after. Off comes the ring and on goes the computer to search for a ring finder. Being that it was a 2 hour drive I had to make arrangements to visit them the following day. My detecting friend Dave B. and I talked to Christina and she explained where and how she threw the ring, so we set up a grid in the area which was the size of a basketball court. Once into the water we found that you could walk out hundreds of feet and get no deeper than about 3 feet. The problem was that the deeper you got the silt and clay got mushier. When we got a signal and dug we came up with silt and a big clump of clay to add to the problem when we swept the coil the water turned gray from the silt and clay.

After about a three hour search we told Christina and Mike that we could not find it but because Mike had just got out of the Marines and they were both going to school and looking for a job we wanted to help them. They paid me gas money and I told them that we would be back but the next time it was on my dime.

Last Monday, 2 weeks later, we again set up a grid starting from the deepest part where we were told the ring should be and then searching towards shore. We started at 11 am and slowly worked our way to the shore and at about 5 pm 10 feet from shore I got the hit I was looking for and yelled out to Dave « I found it ».

We went to Cristina and Mikes house and presented the ring to a very happy couple. Another long but fruitful day for thringfinders.

   « remember a ring is not always where the person THINKS it was lost »