I received a phone call, from Diane, on Friday January 3rd, 2025. Diane explained to me that 2-3 days earlier, she and her husband Jerry had come up to Maine and were staying at The Beachmere Inn, in Ogunquit, Maine. They had come up with friends, to celebrate the New Year and had attended a New Year’s Eve event, at Jonathan’s Ogunquit, which included dinner and a show. After enjoying the dinner and show, they all went back to The Beachmere Inn and proceeded to sit around one of the fire pits, outside. It was cold and a little wet outside, so they all called it a night and retreated back to their rooms. Once back in their room, Jerry realized that he was no longer wearing his 1973 Boston University Class Ring. As Diane told me, Jerry was heartbroken and they searched the room, to no avail. To place a timeline on when Jerry may have lost the ring, he and Diane looked at some photos, from that evening, to see if they could pinpoint when he had the ring on and again, when he didn’t have it on. They found one photo, of him wearing the ring. The photo was taken at the Beachmere Inn, just prior to them leaving, to go out to Jonathon’s Ogunquit. This means that the ring could be anywhere on the premises of The Beachmere Inn or Jonathon’s Ogunquit.
Once Diane finished telling me the events leading up to the ring being lost, I asked her a few questions. Did they search or notify The Beachmere Inn or Jonathon’s Ogunquit? She replied that both businesses had been notified and had actively searched for the ring but had not found it. Both businesses would continue to search and would notify Diane, should the ring be found. Diane also told me that they notified The Ogunquit Police Department , just in case someone found it, at one of the businesses and turned it in. The Ogunquit PD had not seen the ring, turned it.
I then asked Diane if it could have been lost in one of the parking lots, as Jerry entered and exited the vehicle and if the parking lots were asphalt or gravel. She replied the parking lots were asphalt. I told her that after 2-3 days, the ring would have been found, on the asphalt lots and those would be a visual search only. The asphalt parking lots would not be searched, with a metal detector. So, since I can’t search the inside of the businesses or the asphalt parking lots, with my metal detector, I told Diane that the only area that makes sense, for me to search, was around the outside fire pits, at The Beachmere Inn. Diane agreed this would be the only place to search, with my metal detector. I also told Diane that if I didn’t find the ring, around the fire pits, I would walk the parking lots and give it a visual search, just to be thorough.
Once I arrived at The Beachmere Inn, I let the front desk know why I was there. Paul actually escorted me to the fire pits and I assured him I would not be digging up the lawn, as the ring would still be on top of the ground, not under it.
As I stood there, surveying the area and deciding how to approach this search, Sarah, the owner of The Beachmere Inn, stopped by and introduced herself and told me that she follows my Facebook Page and loves my stories. She also was offering any help I would need, in the event I needed to move any of the furniture or the heavy fire pits themselves. I was very appreciative and told her I didn’t think I would need any help, but would let her know, if I changed my mind.
I decided to search the fire pits, starting with the one, on my left side first, as it was the closest to the building. The grass area wasn’t very large and even moving the 5-6 chairs, out of the way, it only took me 6-7 minutes to search that area. Unfortunately, Jerry’s ring was not found. I then started searching the grassy area around the second fire pit and nothing was found on the left side of that fire pit. I replaced those chairs, to where I found them and went to the other side of the pit, and moved those chairs out of the way, so I could see and get up nice and close, to the fire pit, with my metal detector. Once I started searching, the right side, I had taken 2-3 steps and BANG, there was a large gold ring, laying in the grass. I actually saw it, before I could even get my coil, over it. It was just sitting there, in the grass. I couldn’t believe it. It’s been sitting out there for almost 3 days, in the grass area, near the fire pit. I took a few photos of Jerry’s ring, right where I found it and then picked it up, to verify it was a Boston University Class Ring and yes it was. I then sent a photo of the ring, to Diane and just said “Congratulations”. Once Diane saw the photo, she replied
“OMG!!!! NO WAY!!!!
“It says BU???!!”
I then sent her a second photo, showing the Stone and crest, of the ring. She replied once again
“THATS IT!!!! YOU EFFING ROCK, BABY!!!
If the weather isn’t bad tomorrow can we drive down to pick it up??
WE ALMOST JUST PASSED OUT!!!
He wants to know if his handwriting is still on the inside….. LOL”
I then took a photo of the inscription, on the inside of the band and sent it to Diane and Jerry. The reply came back
“OMG!! Jerry just said “thank you so much” (he’s chocked up)
We will be in touch later after we hear the weather report for tomorrow, etc
You must be touched by God”
I then went back inside The Beachmere Inn and let the front desk and Sarah know that the ring had been recovered. I also let them know that Jerry and Diane had been notified and were in disbelief and would be driving back up to Maine, in the next few days, so I could return Jerry’s precious Class Ring. Sarah and I then had a photo taken, with the ring, in front of The Beachmere Inn’s Christmas tree. I couldn’t help but think that Jerry was to be getting a belated Christmas present.
We in fact did talk later that evening and we made plans to meet, on Sunday, January 5th, at 1:00pm, to return the ring. Cheryl and I met Jerry and Diane, as planned and Jerry was extremely happy to have his very sentimental ring back. He has been wearing it, for more than 50 years and is extremely proud of his accomplishment, of graduating from Boston University. Both Jerry and Diane mentioned that they thought the ring was gone forever and are so grateful for me driving down to Ogunquit and finding it for them. Now Jerry has his ring, back on his finger, where it belongs and no longer has to worry, if he will ever see it again. There isn’t any better feeling than seeing the smiles, on the faces of people getting their lost items back. It truly is a blessing, to be able to help people like Diane and Jerry. They will now be in my growing, “Book of Smiles”, for eternity.
It can be very frustrating for people to visually search for a ring and not find it. After interviewing Paul, I quickly found his ring with my Equinox 900 detector. Both of us had walked over the area earlier and missed seeing the ring, which was sitting in the thin grass. I asked Paul to come over so he could see the location and have the pleasure of retrieving his wedding band.