The Ring Finders Blog | Page 432 of 1122

Brookfield resident, Kelly, texted me to ask if I might help find a set of keys and fob. Kelly and his wife had turned the house upside down looking for them, unsuccessfully. Now, he wondered if the keys might be in the snow in his backyard. He had moved some firewood and played with his dog on the day the keys went missing. Did they fall out of his jacket pocket?

Kelly used a rake to comb through the snow in a large area of his yard but did not find the missing key fob. He even entertained the idea of renting a metal detector. That’s when he discovered me on The Ring Finders website.

It was very, very cold when I arrived at Kelly’s home that night, 5 below zero Fahrenheit (minus 20 Celsius). Even my detector screen was slow to register in the frigid temperatures. I could see where Kelly had been searching and raking through the snow.

Scanning the same area failed to turn up the lost keys. But in the course of our conversation, Kelly mentioned having been in a different area of the yard with his dog at one point. He had reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a toy for the dog. Throwing the toy out into the snow, the dog fetched it back as was his custom. And so, we redirected our search efforts in that area.

I scanned the snow in the vicinity where Kelly had been standing. Sure enough, his key fob appeared just beneath the snow! It had fallen out of his pocket when he pulled out the toy for his dog. And the smile on Kelly’s face tells the rest of the story!

Thanks, Kelly, for the opportunity to solve the mystery of your missing key fob.

If you or someone you know has lost a jewelry item, perhaps even long ago, give me a call. I have over 40 years metal-detecting experience and specialize in solving lost-item mysteries. Whether on land, under the water or in the snow, chances are, your lost item is just waiting to be found.

Greenfield, WI resident, Jessica, couldn’t resist the temptation to toss snowballs at her friends. A late January snowstorm provided ideal conditions for joining in the excitement. Sadly, afterwards when she got into her car, her wedding ring was gone! Jessica’s heart sank to her boots. Scouring the snow failed to turn up her precious ring. That’s when she texted me.

I learned the ring had been fitting loosely and so this, combined with the cold snow, contributed to the ring coming off her hand. But it could be anywhere! I arranged to meet Jessica on location and together we walked through the scenario, doing our best to recreate the events as accurately as possible. I scanned the lawn area where she had been standing but the ring was nowhere to be found. Next, I moved to the driveway where several vehicles were parked. This presented a significant challenge because the concrete was heavily reinforced with iron. Anytime I moved the detector near the driveway it was overwhelmed by the iron signals, making it almost impossible to detect a small ring. This called for drastic measures.

Checking the closest vehicles carefully, I made sure the ring wasn’t resting on them anywhere. Then I began shoveling sections of the driveway, moving the snow onto to the lawn area previously scanned. Scraping the driveway bare, right down to the concrete, I made sure the ring was not missed. I had almost finished clearing the driveway and was checking the snow with my detector when I picked up a faint signal consistent with that of a gold wedding band. Scraping off the snow a layer at a time, the signal grew in intensity. Finally, I probed the target area with a pinpointing device and landed on what turned out to be Jessica’s beautiful wedding ring! And the smile on Jessica’s face tells the rest of the story!

So glad to have found your ring, Jessica!

A late January snowstorm resulted in Wauwatosa, WI resident, Natalie Schneckloth, having an impromptu workout when she shoveled several inches of snow off her driveway and sidewalk. In the process and unbeknown to her, the stainless-steel clasp on Natalie’s Garmin watch let go. Only later did she discover her beloved watch missing.

The next day I received a text message from Natalie asking if I might be able to help. After a subsequent phone call and a line of forensic-type questioning, I arranged to meet Natalie on location. My detector of choice in this situation was an XP Deus 2 with a smaller 9” coil. It performs well in all kinds of terrain and conditions, both on land and in the water. Now, I’ve discovered, it works extremely well in snow thanks to its fast multi-frequency technology.

Scanning the banks of the long driveway failed to pick up any signals consistent with Natalie’s watch. But when I moved to the piles of snow lining her front sidewalk, a signal well above ground level invited further investigation. I subsequently probed deep into the snow using a hand-held pinpointing device which vibrates whenever it senses a metallic object. It didn’t take long to locate the source of the signal. As it turned out, it was Natalie’s lost, but now found, Garmin watch!

So glad to have solved the mystery of your missing watch, Natalie!

If you or someone you know has lost a jewelry item, perhaps even long ago, give me a call. I have over 40 years metal-detecting experience and specialize in solving lost-jewelry mysteries. Whether on land, under water or in the snow, chances are, your lost item is just waiting to be found.