Mandy and I were looking forward to a long weekend to celebrate our fourth wedding anniversary. After enjoying a night at Madison’s Concert on the Square, a round of golf another day and exploring some of Wisconsin’s hidden gems we decided to meet family at Devil’s Lake State Park for a pleasant Saturday afternoon.
The sun was shining and Max (our beagle) was by our side. After a full day of activities, including Wollersheim Wine, New Glarus Beer and of course cheese curds in hand, we decided to hop in the lake. Although the water was chilly, the volleyball was flying and we were having a great time. Not even five minutes in the water, the weekend became ever so memorable. I turned to Mandy and calmly told her my wedding ring had just flung off my finger. She thought it was a joke until she glanced down at my hand.
I was able to see exactly where my ring hit the glossy water but the vision didn’t last long as it disappeared into the cloudy lake water. Everyone froze … not a movement was made. A friendly family on the beach offered their snorkeling gear to us to aid in the search. I stayed put while Mandy and family member Cody swam in circles, periodically coming up for air while trying not to stir up the mucky sand on the lake floor.
We thought it would be easy to spot a shiny ring sitting atop the muck but we were sorely mistaken. After the remaining afternoon and the entire evening (over 5 hours in total) was spent searching, daylight was gone and we called it quits. Needless to say the ride home was quiet.
We threw around ideas: « Should we go back and search the next day? », « Do we call the jewelers right away? », « Call the insurance company? ». Late Sunday night as we were getting ready for the week ahead it dawned on us, maybe there are such people as treasure hunters? It was worth a Google search at least.
Sure enough, the first website that popped up was www.TheRingFinders.com. We entered Wisconsin Dells as the location and a man by the name of Dan Roekle was revealed. I got on the phone right away and explained exactly what happened. His response, « We’ll find it, guarantee it. » While we knew nothing is ever 100%, his statement was enough to bring a huge smile to Mandy’s face.
The very next day, Dan and I coordinated our schedules and decided to meet at Devil’s Lake in the evening. Cody and I headed up to the State Park and after securing the proper paperwork from the Park Warden to use a metal detector in the park, we headed to the infamous spot where my ring was lost. Dan often takes his two children with him on treasure hunts, teaching them patience while having fun at the same time. I stayed back as to not stir up the sand. After only five minutes, Dan came back with his son by his side and sadly told us the conditions just weren’t ideal that evening to search for the ring.
My heart sank.
Mandy was going to be so disappointed? The ring itself wasn’t important but the sentiment and memories behind it were invaluable.
Not even 10 seconds later with a huge smile on his face, Dan’s son pulled his hand out of the water and revealed my ring!!! I couldn’t believe it. After spending our entire Saturday afternoon in the water, it took them only five minutes to locate and dig up my ring, which had sunk about 3 inches below the mucky sand. I got Mandy on the phone and tried to tell her the conditions just weren’t right. Of course, she could tell by the tone of my voice that wasn’t the case. When I told her, she was overjoyed and couldn’t believe how quick the ring was retrieved! The ring is now safely back on my finger and after four years I finally got it re-sized as to avoid anything like this in the future.
Thank you Dan and family for your enthusiasm and confidence. Although it’s just a ring, it means a lot to us and we are incredibly grateful for your assistance. One thing is for certain, we will probably never forget our four year wedding anniversary!
Best,
Allan and Mandy G.
Alan’s Text to His Wife Right After Finding the Ring The Lost Ring
