#how to find a gold ring in water Tag | The Ring Finders

Veteran Loses Sterling Silver Cross In The Old Orchard Beach Maine Sand, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)

Brennan posted the following on the “Old Orchard Beach Lost and Found” Facebook Page , on August 18th

“I believe i lost a necklace at the beach yesterday, it was a cross necklace if anyone finds it it would be greatly appreciated.”
Once this was posted, Brennan received a comment, on his post,

“Call The Ringfinders of The Ring Finders of Maine!!! Amazing man!!!”

Brennan heeded the posters advice and called me. Brennan told me that the Sterling Silver Necklace and Cross, containing the Lord’s Prayer , was a gift from his fiancé. She gave him this necklace just before his first overseas deployment, while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps . Brennan told me this necklace had been with him all over thee world and couldn’t believe he comes home to Maine and loses it in Old Orchard Beach. Brennan then told me that they had entered the beach, at the Waves Oceanfront Resort and had taken an immediate right, next to the benches and walked down to the next bench. I told Brennan that I would mark up an aerial view of the area and see if we could pinpoint the exact area, to search. I can’t tell you how many times I have searched an area, by verbal description only and end up in the wrong location. It is imperative that I get the best possible directions, to search. Once I sent the photo to Brennan and asked if I had the correct location, he replied

I believe it would be the next set of benches farther down towards the bottom of that picture, it was one lone bench.
The necklace was sterling silver with the lords prayer engraved on it. I believe it’s this one right here
Where I circled in yellow. Yes sir I believe that’s exactly the spot 😂 Thank you so much, you are extremely appreciated! ”

Perfect, Brennan had circled the exact location., just as I had resent the photo, marking the exact spot as Brennan had.and I told Brennan I would get there as soon as I could, once my appointment with the pellet stove technician was completed, at 4:00pm. It was now 2:21pm and Cheryl could see me getting itchy, to get down there. Cheryl said to me “just go find” it and I’ll wait for the pellet stove guy. That was all I needed to hear and I was out the door.

I called Brennan on the way to Old Orchard Beach, Maine and told him I would send photos of the area, once I arrived and if he could verify I was in the correct spot. Absolutely was his reply. Once I arrived, the parking situation was not being kind to me. I ended up parking approximately a quarter mile away, closer to Ocean Park, Maine and walk up to the beach, near the Waves Resort. I then made my way to the bench and as I was walking on the beach, I noticed the beach cleaning machine HAD NOT been through the area. That was a big positive, I then took some photos and sent them to Brennan, asking if this was in fact the bench and area, he had been in. His reply

“I believe that’s the correct one. It should be less than a few feet from the bench on its right side. It fell off, right side facing the bench.”

I then walked over to the bench and and searched in front of the bench, as I was getting to the right side, where the necklace had possibly fallen, into the sand. I found nothing in the front of the bench. I then swung my coil on the right side of the bench and received a very loud high tone and my VDI Screen was showing 91. A very high conductive metal, just like silver. I removed my coil from the area, of the target and when I looked down, I could barely see part of a chain or necklace. Not much was showing but I could see it. I picked up the necklace and a Sterling Silver Cross, with The Lords Prayer emerged from the sand. WOW!!!! I was now holding Brennan’s Necklace and Cross. I took some photos and sent them to Brennan

“I think I can see it. Congratulations. I could actually still see part of the chain. I will contact you when I get home. 🙏🙏🙏”

Brennan replied
“You are a lifesaver. Thank you so much sir. 🙏❤️💪😎”

Once home I told Brennan that I would send his necklace and cross, via the USPS Certified Mail and he shod receive it in a few days. I then asked him if he would’t mind having a photo taken, with the necklace, once he received it and forward it to me, so I could use it in my story. Brennan happily agreed a last night Brennan did in fact send me the photo. Felt so great to help Brennan and I thanked him, for his service, to our country. No better feeling than to help people and when the person is a veteran who has been put in harms way, serving our country, it’s even better. A very special gift, from a fiancé is now back around the neck of Brennan. A gift that helped protect him, around the world, while serving his country. I was just so proud to have helped him get this back. I have the best job, in the world.
Brennan, Thank you for your service, to our country. Semper Fi 🇺🇸❤️🙏

Sentimental Gold Wedding Ring Lost In The Grass, In Buxton, Maine, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)

“Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue”

We’ve all heard this saying about what a bride should wear, in her wedding day. The following, is from Readers Digest

People believed the items would bring good and happy marriages. According to Reader’s Digest, the rhyme came about in the Victorian era from Lancashire, a county in England. Most of the ingredients in the rhyme are meant to ward off the evil eye, which, according to Reader’s Digest, was « a curse passed through a malicious glare that could make a bride infertile. »
So, on Saturday August 16th Emma and Timothy, were married, at Arabella Estate, in Buxton, Maine. It was an absolutely beautiful day, at a beautiful wedding venue. For her “something old”, Emma decided to have her late grandfather’s wedding ring, tied to her bouquet. A very loving and touching tribute to her grandfather. After the wedding ceremony was over, the bride and groom had photographs taken, of their special day. There were areas, around the estate that the bride, groom, wedding party and family, had pictures taken at. Towards the end of the photo session, Emma noticed her grandfather’s wedding ring was no longer tied to the bouquet. Emma was crushed and everyone started searching, for the missing ring. Some people were even on their hands and knees, looking for the ring. The ring was never found.
Later that evening, I received a call from the groom, explaining to me, what had happened. I explained that I was in Boston and was booked, in Auburn, Maine, Sunday morning. Emma and Timothy couldn’t make it on Sunday, so we agreed to meet first thing Monday morning. Timothy later texted me and told me that, “my wife is absolutely distraught and just you agreeing to come out has taken a huge weight off her shoulders. We will be there with you as long as you need to assist in any way and answer any questions.”
I arrived at Arabella Estates and admired the entire venue, as I was waiting for Emma and Timothy. After arriving, along with Emma’s mother, I was shown the most likely areas that the ring would be in. Timothy and Emma had narrowed the areas down, by going through the photos, taking by the wedding photographer. A very smart move and it definitely helps, in pinpointing a location. I had brought an extra Metal Detector to use and Timothy enthusiastically agreed to search also. After a quick tutorial, Timothy told me that he would like me to search the area, they really thought the ring would be in. This was because of my experience and Timothy would search the second most likely area. If I was unable to locate the ring, in my area, I could always search the area that Timothy was searching. I fired up my Minelab Manticore, as Timothy, Emma and her mother, went around to the other side of the venue, to search. I decided I would start at the stairs and grid search, across the lawn, to the edge of the woods and plants. I hadn’t gone more than five steps, when my phone rang. The call was about another lost ring. Once the call ended, I started searching again and another five steps later, my metal detector went off, loud and clear. A nice low tone and registering a 38 on my VDI screen. My depth gauge was showing the target was zero to two inches, below the ground. I then looked down, into the grass and I couldn’t see the target. I then removed my pinpointer and ran it through the grass, until I located the target. I then moved a few blades of grass and I saw a Gold Ring. Unbelievable!!! No more than 10 steps, into the search and Emma’s “something old” has been found. I walked over to the other side of the venue and told Timothy, Emma and her mother that they could stop searching because I had found the wedding ring. I then saw the smiles break out, along with a huge sigh of relief, from everyone. Once at the area the ring was in, I asked if any of them could see the ring. They couldn’t see the ring and I then pointed it out, camouflage perfectly, in the grass. They all remarked how the area had been visually searched and some people were searching on their hands and knees. After all these years of metal detecting it still amazes me that rings just disappear and blend into the grass.
So now Emma’s “something old” is back with her mother, who had let Emma borrow the wedding ring, for her nuptials. Emma is no longer distraught and a burden has been lifted, from her shoulders. As Emma and Timothy start their new life together, they will look back at this and laugh. Emma now has a story to add, to not only her wedding ring, but her grandfather’s also. It certainly was a special moment when I could just see and sense the mood change, in Emma. Another smile for the “Book of Smiles” and I absolutely love being able to do this, for others.
Congratulations Emma & Timothy and wishing you nothing but love and happiness in your life together ❤️🙏

 

Tiffany “Smile” Bracelet And Pendant Lost In The Limington Maine Grass, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)

On Friday August 8th, I received the following text message

“Hi Dennis, I am reaching out as I lost my gold bracelet in my lawn yesterday evening while playing with the dog. We searched last night with a flash light with no luck and was wondering if you would be able to come out and help? We live in Limington, so wasn’t sure if you come out this way. It is a thin rose goal bracelet with diamonds. I can send a picture. Our address is: *** Cape Road., Limington, Maine. This was a wedding gift so would love to try to get it back. Thank you!!”

I called and was able to talk with Carly. Carly told me that not only did she and her husband, Taylor, search last night, they also searched again this morning. They just can’t find the bracelet. Carly was worried that when he dog jumped on her, the bracelet may have been eaten, by the dog or became stuck on the dog and ended up in a totally different area. She explained that it was a very thin chain with just a very small pendant, in the shape of a smile and the smile contained small diamonds. Carly also told me the bracelet was a Tiffany & Co. Bracelet. I told Carly that I would be happy to help and explained a few concerns. Very thin gold bracelets and necklaces are extremely difficult to metal detect. There just isn’t a lot of gold on them and is one of the two most difficult gold pieces of jewelry to metal detect. The other one is gold stud earrings. These very low conductive, non ferrous, metals that will barely register on a metal detector. As an example, Sterling Silver will ring up in the 90’s, loud and clear. A Men’s Gold Ring will come in and show up, as a 20 into the 60’s, depending on the size and shape. Gold stud earrings and very thin chains will only register in the 01 to 03 range and just as a whisper. In order to metal detect these items, you must set up your detector properly, to find these items. You must have the proper technique also. You have to cover an area as slowly as you can. I do not walk through the area, swinging the coil. I take one step swing the coil, low and slow, take a half step, swing, low and slow, repeating this for the entire search. If you are walking through the area, swinging, you may not find it. You must also use the proper coil, as small as possible. I have 4 coils that I swap out, depending on the job. For this search, I went with my most sensitive and smallest coil, the 8” elliptical coil. We agreed that I would search, first thing in the morning, at 8:00am
Because I was not certain on how large of an area, would need to be searched, I enlisted the help of Gary Hill. Gary and I arrived promptly at 8:00am and were greeted by both Carly and Taylor. We were shown the area in which the dog had jumped on Carly and where she thought the Tiffany Bracelet would be, if the bracelet hadn’t ended up on the dog and moved to another area. Gary and I decided that we would split the area, in half. Gary would search the lawn area, closest to the road and he would work his way towards the house and I would start near the house, working my way towards the road. As I slowly walked towards the corner of the house, I received a few low conductor targets in the 12 to 15 range. Not low enough to be the Tiffany Bracelet and the depth, of the targets, were anywhere from 2 to 6 inches, in the ground, according to the depth gauge, on my Minelab Manticore. As Gary and I continued to search, I received the best target of the morning. A target reading 01 – 02 and exactly the reading I was looking for. I looked down and didn’t see the bracelet. I ran my fingers through the grass, hoping to snag the bracelet, but nothing was found. I told Taylor, who was very close to me, visually searching, for the target and he came over. As I was reaching for my pinpointer, Taylor started running his fingers through the grass and pushing the grass back. All of a sudden I hear him say, there it is and when I bent down, he showed me the Tiffany Bracelet , all balled up, deep in the grass. No wonder it wasn’t visually found, it was blending in with the grass and hidden by the grass, on top of that. Carly came running over and couldn’t be we had found it, thanking Gary and I. As Carly and Taylor looked at the bracelet, they could see one of the links had broken, when the dog jumped up on her. She and Taylor would be bringing the bracelet to a jeweler, to be repaired and it should be as good as new. Carly and Taylor thanked us again as were preparing to leave, telling up that they were amazed we found it and that they never would have found it, down deep in the grass like that. Gary and I thanked them for having the faith and trust, in us to find their sentimental piece of jewelry. When I asked Carly if the Tiffany Bracelet had been a gift or anything else special to it, she told me that she and Taylor had bought it together, the week they were married, a few years earlier. Thankfully we were able to find the Tiffany Bracelet and put the smiles back on their faces. Funny how finding a Tiffany “Smile” Bracelet put a smile on all of our faces. Who doesn’t love putting smiles on peoples faces ❤️🙏

Sterling Silver Wedding Ring Lost In The Ocean Park, Old Orchard Beach Maine Surf, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)

Late Wednesday Evening, on August 6th, I received the following message, from Marjorie

“Hi. Just this evening , Wednesday I lost a Silver Ring/ Wedding Band – a simple band (sz 7). Long story short: around 7:30-8pm, my kids found it in the crab bucket (they were putting the crabs back in the ocean), then my daughter wore it, but went into the edge of the water where it slipped off her finger. They were in front of the lifeguard station between Casco Ave. & Tioga Ave, here in Ocean Park, Maine (we’re staying at ** ******* Ave). We just looked around and couldn’t find it and the tide is coming up. Do you think you could help me find my supposed to be interim replacement wedding band? Thanks for any help! My phone # is 802-***-****. I will try looking for it after sunrise. Thanks.”

It was now approximately 9:45pm and I immediately messaged Marjorie back, with the following two messages

“Hi Marjorie, So sorry to hear this. I would need to look at the tide charts, to see when the best time to search is.
In the interim, is this the area you think the ring is in?” I then sent a photo

“Hi Marjorie, Gary Hill and I will arrive at 5:00am. The tide will be lower than it was tonight and should give us a few hours to search, for your Silver Wedding Ring. With two of us, we can cover more ground.”
Marjorie did confirm the area and we would meet her at 5:00am
When Gary and I arrived, Marjorie was already there, with her son Dawson. The sun hadn’t risen yet but the sky was beautiful. Marjorie explained what had happened and where she thinks the ring was lost. The tide still out quite a bit so Gary and I decided to grid search, from out on the wet sand, up towards the shore, until we reached the hide tide mark. Facing the shore, Gary would search to the left of the lifeguard stand and I would search the right side. I figured the entire area could be searched in approximately an hour, with both of us there. We weren’t finding much, other than the usual beach trash. At one point I had a dime and I had Dawson come over to see what a dime would sound like, in the headphones. It definitely put a smile on his face, as he nodded his head. Gary and I had now reached the slope, heading up to the high tide mark and dry sand. I asked Marjorie if we didn’t find it here, where else would the Sterling Silver Wedding Ring be. Since she didn’t actually see the ring get lost, from her daughter’s finger, Marjorie thought that we should pick up the search, just south of the lifeguard stand. We would start the search, at the southern end of Gary’s grid line and hope for the best. As I reached the high tide mark and dry sand, I started across the area, as Gary was almost up to the high tide mark. I was cutting through Gary’s area when right at the high tide mark, I received a very loud high tone, reading 91 on my Minelab Manticore. As soon as I heard the tone and saw the 91, on the VDI screen, I knew immediately it had to be the Solver Wedding Ring. Without digging, I told Gary that I had found thr ring. I also called Marjorie and Dawson over, telling them I was certain this was the Silver Wedding Ring. I asked Dawson if he would do the honors of running the coil, over the sand, where the target was, just to make sure it was there, so Gary could pinpoint it. Once Dawson located the target, Gary used his pinpointer and took a scoop of sand, with his hand and pulled a ring out. Smiles broke out on both Marjorie’s and Dawson’s face. As a beautiful sunrise was unfolding, so weren’t the smiles. We just love being able to help others out, in their time of need. Marjorie sent me a message the next day, thanking us again
“Thanks so much again! I initially lost it when the kids caught crabs by the channel in Ocean Park and I got brave enough to grab the crabs in/ out of the bucket(s) that we took back to the house at ******* Ave. That was before dinner at about 5:30-6pm. We made the kids put the crabs back into the ocean before sunset around 7:30-8. Dawson, my 8 yo, said he saw a ring in one of the buckets and gave it to his sister Gabriella as they played soccer with the volleyball. 🏐 The ring slipped off as she went in and out of the surf. Thank goodness for that lifeguard stand to help us remember the location of where she might have lost the ring 💍! Like I said,I initially lost my original wedding band back home in ********, Vermont and I’m having replacement ones made. I bought this “interim” wedding band just to show I’m married!
Again thank you so much!
Marge”

Very Small Gold Earring Lost In Grass South Portland, Maine, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)

On Friday, July 18th, Gary Hill and I were returning from Short Sands Beach York Maine, in York Beach, Maine. We had a successful recovery, after Gary had recovered a lost pendant. As we were approaching the Town of Wells, Maine, my phone rang. The caller identified herself as Sarah. Sarah told me that she was at Scratch Baking Co., in South Portland, Maine and she had just lost a very small gold earring. As she and her daughter, Eliza were eating lunch, outside on a bench, she had felt and seen the gold earring, become entangled in Eliza’s hair. As Sarah went to grab the earring, from Eliza’s hair, Eliza spun away and the earring fell into the grass and acorn shells. They had been searching for the earring, for a half hour and just couldn’t find it. She asked if I could help her. I told her Gary and I could be there in approximately 45 minutes, as we were still on Rt 1, in Wells, Maine. Sarah and Eliza would continue to search for the earring, as Gary and I made our way north, to South Portland Maine and Scratch Baking Co…

Once Gary and I arrived we saw Sarah and Eliza sitting on the beach, under the tree. They told us they still hadn’t found the earring. Gary had brought his 8” sniper coil, as this would work best for extremely small gold items. We decided that Gary would start grid searching, with the Minelab Manticore and 8” sniper coil. I would visually search and run my pinpointer through the grass, hoping to get lucky. After approximately 20-30 minutes, the earring still wasn’t found. Just amazing how these things disappear from sight. Gary and I decided to switch roles. I would grid search vertically, where Gary had searched horizontally, to the street. Gary would now visually search and man the pinpointer. After about 5 minutes, I received a repeatable target of 06 – 07, on the VDI screen and the sweet sounding low tone of gold. I still couldn’t see the target but could definitely hear the target. I reached down and moved the grass and still couldn’t see the target. I then moved a few pieces of broken acorn shells and staring back at me was an extremely small gold earring. I looked over at Sarah and Eliza and said “I found it”. Sarah jumped right up and came towards me, saying “Did you really? Thank you so much”. This earring would not have been found by just visually searching. How did the earring end up under the broken acorn shells? We may never know for sure but most likely the shells ended up on top of the earring during the initial search, by Sarah and Eliza. As they were walking, in the area and running their fingers through the grass, they may have inadvertently moved the shells, onto the earring. Either way, Sarah now had her gold earring back and was very happy with that. Sarah and Eliza are from Massachusetts and had been in the area, when they stopped at Scratch Baking, for lunch. The lunch turned out much longer than they had planned and they were very excited to be getting back on the road, to drive home. That is one reason, why there are so few photos. We didn’t want to hold them up any longer than necessary. Gary and I were also happy to be heading home as we had now been on the road, searching for lost items, for 6 1/2 hours. After two successful recoveries today , it was time to go home, get something to eat and reflect on our day. We absolutely love doing this for others and have the best job in the world.

53 Year Old Wedding Ring Lost For Seven Days In The Saco, Maine Sand Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)

This is the last, of three rings, I recovered and returned, on Friday, July 11th.

The previous evening, Thursday July, 10th, I received a text message, from Ray W., in Stratham, New Hampshire. Ray is a fellow metal detectorist and also helps people recover their lost rings and has many recoveries, to his credit. Ray told me that he saw a posting, about a lost wedding ring, at Kinney Shores, Maine, in Saco, Maine. Ray said the wedding ring was lost, on July 4th, on the beach, near a lifeguard stand. Ray said he was an hour away from Kinney Shores Beach but I live in Saco and am just 4 miles down the road. Ray asked if he could contact the woman, who lost her wedding ring and give her my information. Absolutely give her my information. I love making recoveries, in my hometown. I told Ray that I was already booked in Ogunquit, Maine, very early the next morning but if she contacted me, I would be able to get to Kinney Shores, late morning or afternoon. Ray said he would contact her right then and give her my contact information.
So, after a successful recovery, in Ogunquit, Maine: Beautiful Place by the Sea, I came home and started running errands around Saco and then to Kennebunkport, Maine. While in the Town of Kennebunkport, I was contacted about a lost wedding ring, in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. I told them I would be there in an hour or so. I was then contacted again, about a lost wedding ring, in Kinney Shores. The woman identified herself as Toni. Toni told me that she was given my information, from Ray and asked if I could help her find her wedding ring, of 53 years. Wow, 53 years she has been wearing that ring and I really wanted to find it for her. I told Her I should be able to meet her there between 2:00pm and 3:00pm. She said that was great and to just call her, when I started over to Kinney Shores. Toni lived only 10 minutes away and would go straight over and meet me, next to the Lifeguard stand.

Once I arrived back in the area, Cheryl and I immediately headed to Old Orchard for the lost wedding ring there. Thankfully, I recovered that one in 5 to 7 minutes. As soon as I got in my vehicle, I called Toni and told her I was heading to Kinney Shores. She said that she would be right there. From the lost ring in Old Orchard Beach Maine, to Toni’s lost ring, in Kinney Shores, is less than 1 1/2 miles from each other. I wasn’t complaining about that.

Once I arrived, Toni arrived just a few minutes later. I asked her what had happened, as to how the ring was lost. Toni told me that she and her husband had come to Kinney Shores on the evening of July 4th, to watch the fireworks. While waiting for the fireworks to start, her engagement and wedding rings were bothering her finger. She took both rings off and rubbed her finger. As she was putting both rings back on, someone close to her lit some fireworks or some firecrackers. They were extremely close and very loud. This has startled Toni so much, that she kind of jumped away, just as she was putting the rings back on her finger. Toni’s engagement ring made onto her finger but the wedding ring of 53 years, fell into the sand, disappearing. She and her husband immediately started searching for it but were not able to locate the ring. She even went back in the daylight, sifting the sand, from the area, to no avail. She thought it was gone forever and just before their 54th Anniversary, just a month away, in August. Man, I really want to find this extremely sentimental ring. She also told me the ring had diamonds on it.
I told her my concern is that a ring, missing for 7 days, on the beach don’t usually end well. The area is metal detected by other Detectorist’s and it may have been found already. One thing going in her favor is that this section of beach doesn’t get cleaned by the beach rake. I could tell it didn’t because of the abundance of seaweed. I started grid searching, south to north, parallel to the water. My first grid line resulted in just a few pieces of foil and aluminum pull tabs. I turned around and headed north but the result was the same, no ring. I turned and headed south again and after just a few feet, I received a signal that I liked the sound of. I took my pinpointer out and started wiping the sand away, until I saw GOLD. I had found her lost wedding ring, after a full week, in the sand. As I stood up, I was playing coy, making a face of disappointment. Toni saw my face and body language and asked, “What’s that mean?” Since I hadn’t taken the ring out of the sand, I just motioned for her to come over and take a look. As she looked, I pointed to the ring but so little of it was showing, Toni wasn’t sure what she was looking at. I reached into the sand, pulled her ring out and all joy broke loose. High fives and hugs, along with congratulations from those around us broke out. Toni was so happy to have her precious wedding ring, of almost 54 years back, just before her upcoming anniversary. I was truly surprised that after 7 days, the ring was right where she thought it would be. Toni is sleeping well again and after 3 recoveries and returns, starting at 3:00am, this morning I will be sleeping well also. It the best feeling in the world to return a lost item, to the rightful owner and when you have three, it is euphoria. So with three rings returned today, do I call it a “Hat Trick”, “Triple Play”, “Three Ring Circus” “Three-Peat” or something else. Let me know what you would call it. Either way, I have the best job in the world. ❤️🙏

We would like to wish Toni and her husband an early HAPPY 54th ANNIVERSARY. Congratulations! ❤️🍾🥂❤️

Sentimental Gold And Diamond Ring Lost In Cornish, Maine, Found During A Visual Search

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)

July 4th weekend was an extremely busy one , for The Ring Finders of Maine. Not only did Gary Hill and I recover and return 3 wedding and engagement rings, on July 5th, we also received multiple calls, that would require us to go search the next morning, on Sunday July 6th. There was a lost ring, in Portland, Maine and another in Cornish, Maine. I would search for ring in Portland, Maine, and Gary would search for the ring in Cornish Maine. This recovery and return is from the Cornish, Maine search and Gary Hill.

I received a call from Mary, on Saturday, July 5th. Mary was camping up in Cornish, at the Saco River Hideaway Camp. Her good friend, Tina lost an extremely sentimental ring, the night before, while enjoying the July 4th fireworks, at the campground. Mary told me that Tina, who suffers from Parkinson’s Disease, was just absolutely devastated. Tina has difficulty getting around so she and her husband, Buddy, uses a golf cart, to get around the campground. After watching the fireworks, Tina and Buddy visited other campers, at their camp sites, enjoying the festive atmosphere with her many friends. Tina would not leave the golf cart and her husband would get her a drink and bring it to Tina, while still sitting, in the cart. At the end of the evening and back inside her camper, Tina realized she wasn’t wearing her ring. She and Buddy backtracked to all the camp sites and pavilion they had been at. Everyone they had visited helped, in the search for the ring, but it was dark and the gravel campground roads were a great place to hide a ring, not to mention the grassy areas. The ring was not found and Tina was absolutely devastated. I told Mary I was going to see if Gary was available, as I was heading to Portland in the morning. Gary was available and agreed to drive up to Cornish and hopefully find Tina’s ring. Below is Gary’s activities the next morning.

I arrived at Saco River Hideaway Campground, in Cornish, at 8:00 am and met with the campsite owner, who took me to Tina and Buddy’s campsite. Buddy explained to me they had taken the golf cart up to th Pavilion to see the fireworks. They then went visiting other campsites to celebrate the 4th eventually ending back home. After hearing Buddy’s story and being shown the areas they had traveled and visited,bI did a search of the driveway and around their fire pit. We then drove to the Pavillion and searched where they had parked the golf cart. Tina never left the golf cart and the ring had been on her left hand. Tina has Parkinson’s Disease had hadn’t moved around much. While searching this area a neighbor stopped and said Tina had the ring on her finger, when they visited another campsite just up the road. Ah a good clue. We walked from the Pavillion to the campsite checking both the road and grassy area. Nothing. We continued walking the road around the campsites checking each one. We continued searching until we arrived back to the Pavillion. From there we checked the road to the river. Still no ring. We went back to Buddy and Tina’s campsite and did another search. Nothing. After discussing all the events I had a strong feeling it was in the camper. Buddy asked if I would do a visual and maybe use pinpointer around the trash. I don’t usually go into residents home but this ring meant so much to Tina. After several minutes, in the camper, we ended up in the bathroom. In the corner was a spiral toilet paper holder. I glanced down the inside and beside a spare roll of toilet paper was the ring. The tears started flowing from Tina’s eyes. Truly a precious moment. Because of her difficulties of getting around, she couldn’t see the ring, in that area, of the bathroom.

I also received the following messages , from Mary, after Gary found the ring.

“We are beyond thankful and blessed for your help. I will be writing a review on your facebook page. Tina was so emotional when it was found. U and your colleagues are the best. Thank you again. Mary”

Another message from Mary

“Dennis. Her ring is so special because they have added to the ring over several years of marriage. Tina has Parkinson’s Disease and she does not get around very well. She was so devastated when she realized her ring cluster was gone. She was so emotional when it was found. The entire campground was out looking before I placed a call to you. I have read all your stories and they are so special. While the rings were very expensive, money could not replace the memories of how she received all three from her very dedicated husband. They are a wonderful couple and neighbors of mine at the campground. I plan to write a review attached to what you post. You and Gary are exceptional special guys and I thank you both from the bottom of my heart. So thankful for both of you”

“A sincere thank you does not even sum up the joy you brought to Tina and Buddy and to all the campers who so diligently search Saco River Hideaway Campground Dennis was so happy to take my call and arranged for Gary to meet with us bright and early on July 6th. You offer such a special service for those who have lost a treasured piece of Jewelry. Tina’s tears of joy flowed easily when her rings were found and her smile was so beautiful. Dennis and Gary are both one in a million caring guys.
I know you made our July 6th such a phenomenal day. Thank you, thank you, thank you💕”

Gary summed it up well,
“Well it just doesn’t get better than helping someone who truly needs our help. A beautiful and extremely special moment and I couldn’t have been happier for Tina. Happy Tears and smiles, it doesn’t get any better than that.”😀❤️🙏

 

 

White Gold Engagement Ring, Lost In The Sand At Goose Rocks Beach, Kennebunkport, Maine, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)

On Thursday morning June 12th, I was searching, for a lost heirloom necklace, in Ocean Park, Maine. As I searched, my phone kept going off with both phone calls and text messages. Unfortunately, I couldn’t even see the screen of my phone, because the sun was so bright and I could not see anything but a blank screen, I decided I would get to a shady area and see what was going on, but not until I found this lost necklace. Once I found the necklace, approximately half hour later, I walked up to the gazebo area, of Ocean Park Beach, next to the library and across the street from the Ocean Park Soda Fountain. I was waiting for my wife, Cheryl, to return and pick me up. As I sat on the bench, I noticed two missed calls, voice mails, a text message and a Facebook Messenger notification. The following is from the dictation, from the voicemail

““Hi, my name is Lauren. We are on the beach and one of our friends lost her engagement ring. We just wanted to inquire more about your services. If you can give me a call back at 781-XXX-XXXX, that would be great thank you.…”

Lauren’s text message and Facebook Messenger were the same.

“Hi! My friend lost her engagement ring on Gooserocks Beach Kennebunkport. We were wondering if you may be able to help us?”

With three different forms of communication, I knew someone was frantic and in desperate need of my Emergency Metal Detecting Services.
I immediately called Lauren back and she told me that a group of friends had gone to the beach and after being there for just a short period of time, one of the women noticed she no longer had her engagement ring on. Lauren told me that some of the women went to the vehicle and searched the vehicle for the ring, while the remaining group of friends searched around the circle of chairs they had set up, on the beach. Neither search was successful so some of the group, went back to the house and searched for the ring there. Again, no ring was found. So they went back to the beach and that is when Lauren contacted me and left the messages. I told Lauren that I would be happy to help and I could be there in approximately 45 minutes or so. Lauren told me that the group of friends were on the beach, at the Proctor Avenue beach entrance. I told her that I knew exactly where that was and would be there shortly.

Once Cheryl and I arrived at Goose Rocks Beach, Maine, we entered the beach, at Proctor Ave and we were immediately waved to by a group of 8 women. One of the women walked towards us and introduced herself as Meaghan. Meaghan said it is her engagement ring that was lost but has no idea when or where it came off. She then went through the events of the morning and they were the same as what Lauren had conveyed, to me. Meaghan had her ring on at the house and then at the beach, it was gone. Meaghan thought the most likely scenario was that the ring was in or just outside of the circle of chairs, beach bags, etc., that she had carried down to and placed on the beach. If the ring was not in this area, it could be somewhere in the 75 feet or so of beach, from the access path, to where they had settled in for the day. It could also be out along the street, where they had parked and taken all the beach essentials, down onto the beach. There is a strip of sand along that area of street and I would need to search that also, if the ring wasn’t found, on the beach. It was then mentioned by someone in the group that Meaghan is getting married in September and this is her Bachelorette Get Away. Ok, Take a deep breath, no pressure to find this ring. I really wanted to find this ring quickly. I could see the extreme anxiety on Meaghan’s face and I want to turn that anxiety into a big smile.

I told the group that I would perform a grid search, just outside the chairs, where they all thought the ring most likely was and is the location where everything was placed, when they first arrived at the beach. I just needed to move the metal chairs back a little further, so they wouldn’t interfere with my metal detector and the women all moved their chairs back. I asked Meaghan what the metal is, that the engagement ring is made out of. Meaghan then told me it is White Gold band. I then took out a White Gold Engagement Ring and threw it into the sand. I do this for two reasons, 1) I will get my metal detector setup , to my liking, with the metal I am looking for. 2) It will show the client how the metal detector sounds, when the coil goes over the ring. I have found that my clients enjoy seeing this and after seeing me do this and in a way, comforts them. When I threw the ring, into the sand, I saw a few eyes get really big and a few gasps, from the group. They must have thought I was crazy. I then made a few adjustments to my detector and swung the coil over the sand. When the coil went over the setup gold ring, it went off nice and loud and I could hear the excitement, from the group. I now started my grid search and the area was not very large, taking just 5 minutes or so. I did not find the ring, nor anything else, for that matter. No trash or coins. When I didn’t find it, we talked about grid searching the 75 or so feet, up to the access path. Something told me to search deeper, in the circle of chairs first. This was so I would’t have to come back and search this area, if the ring wasn’t found, going up to the access path. I took a step deeper, into where the chairs were and started searching. As I was approaching the northern end of the area, the detector started sounding off. A nice loud low tone and a reading of 07-08 on the VDI screen. I could see the excitement and anticipation on the faces of the women in the group, when they heard the sound being emitted, by my detector. I told them I couldn’t guarantee this signal was the ring but that I really liked the sound of it. I then took my pinpointer out and located the target, in the sand.I reached into the sand and came up empty. I felt around and felt something solid, looked down and picked a ring up with a diamond on it. I had found Meaghan’s engagement ring and when I held the ring up, for all to see, all kinds of screaming, yelling and celebrating took place. Meaghan came over, got her ring and gave me a nice big hug. I could see her happy tears and others in the group were also misty eyed. Everyone was just so happy for her. What started out a a wonderful Bachelorette get away, turned into a nightmare and then back to a happy place, for the group of friends. Now with the mood much lighter, I could hear some comments being made, from the group. “Hey Meaghan, you going to tell your mother? “Meaghan, DON’T tell your fiancé!” All in good fun and the laughing continued, now that her engagement was back on her finger. Later in the evening, I received some more messages from Lauren, “thank you sooo much Dennis!!! “ Lauren also sent me some photos and a video, that the group had taken. Lauren even put the video out on TikTok and told me it already had 5,000 views. It is always a great feeling when the client reaches back out to me, later and still thanking me. It’s such a great feeling and blessing to be able to help people out, in their time of need.
Cheryl and I would like to wish Meaghan a wonderful wedding this September and a long prosperous life, with her husband to be.💍❤️🍾🥂

Key Fob and Keys Lost During Snowstorm, In Portland, Maine, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)

On February 9th, I received the following text message, from Kim

“Hello, I was wondering if you could share more info on your services such as cost/availability? We had a mishap with snow removal today and a set of house/car keys are most likely in a snow bank. I’m wondering if this might be an option vs waiting until spring! Thanks”!
I then replied
“Hi Kim, So sorry to hear this. So I do not charge for my time or my Emergency Metal Detecting Service. I do however require a Transportation Fee, to cover my gas, tolls, wear and tear, etc.”
Kim replied
“Thanks for the quick reply! Have you had much luck with finding keys in the past? I wasnt sure if stainless steel would be tougher to find”.
I then sent her a few photos, of previous key fobs and keys, that I have recovered, in the past year. I also told her my detectors would pick up the metal that the keys and fob were made of. We also set a date for me searching for the lost keys and key fob. I would search on Wednesday February 12th, 3 days from now.
I asked Kim if the fob & keys were lost in the snowbanks of their driveway or the street snowbanks. She replied

“That is part of the challenge, not sure when it got lost so it could be in our side/back yard or near the end of the driveway along the street. it’s possible we’re too late if it was at the end of the driveway with the snowplows. fingers crossed it’s in the yard”!

When I arrived on February 12th, Kim and Pat were there to meet me and showed me the area, Pat thinks the key fob had been lost, at the end of the driveway, near the street. Pat told me that he actually had two sets of keys and fobs go missing. One set was for his vehicle and house keys and the other set was Kim’s. He had both sets because as he was snow blowing the driveway, he was moving the vehicles around. Once he realized both sets were missing, he started searching the driveway, end of driveway and street, along with his backyard. Pat was able to locate Kim’s key fob & keys, in the backyard. Unfortunately, Pat was not able to locate his set. Pat really thought his set was lost at the end of the driveway, where it meets the street. If this were the case, the key fob and keys could have easily been plowed by the City of Portland, Maine, all the way down the street. Pat was extremely concerned that if someone found the key fob, along the street, they could easily start pressing the lock/unlock button and listen to where his car was. They would then also have keys, to gain access to their home. We needed to find this set of keys and fast.

The snowbanks, along the street were extremely high and wide. Conceivably, the keys could be buried in the middle of these absolutely huge snow banks . Their property also had extremely deep snow. I told Kim and Pat that the snowbanks may be too big and if I wasn’t able to find the keys today, I would be coming back, as the snow melted. After all, metal detectors do not detect small items in feet, but in inches.
I was confident the detector would pick up the keys at a depth of somewhere between 8-12 inches but the snow banks were approaching 4 feet high and 3-4 feet in width. If the keys and fob were in the middle of those snow banks, we wouldn’t find them today and would need to return, as the snow melted.
I decided to search the snow banks , along the street first, hoping to find it, before someone else, with bad intentions did. Pat accompanied me and would dig the items I had found, along the street and we encountered many metal items. No keys were found. I then detected the snow banks, along the sidewalks, on the way back to Pat & Kim’s home, on the outside chance the keys were pushed on that side of the snow bank. Still no keys found.
I then started detecting the driveway, towards the back yard and back door, including the area, where Kim’s keys were found. Still no keys found, in the extremely deep snow. I then searched the other side of the house, where there is a walkway, to the backyard. Still nothing. At this point, I had searched for approximately 1 1/2 hours, in the deep snow. I told Pat that I would need to come back, as the snow receded, from the melting. Unfortunately, in the week or two that followed, we received more snow and then rain. Even if I found his fob, would it even work? Replacement fobs can become very expensive.
I did check out the street and yard, a few times, after getting out of Physical Therapy, to see if the snow was melting. Very little melting, the first 2 1/2 weeks. Then the melting really picked up and I messaged Kim, I would swing by on Tuesday March 11, and bring my detector with me. Kim replied that there was definitely less snow. Just what I wanted to hear.
So, after Physical Therapy, I traveled the 1 1/2 miles to their home, from my Physical Therapy facility and started visually searching and Metal Detecting, the little snow left, along the street and sidewalk. No keys found. I then searched, the same way, as I went down the driveway, towards the back yard. Still no keys. I decided to search the backyard itself, in the event the keys were thrown by the snowblower or shoveled up onto the lawn, during the cleanup. As I was swinging the detector back and forth searching, I actually spotted the keys and fob, still intact, near some birch logs, along the fence. They were approximately 20 feet from where Kim’s keys were found. I highly doubt they went through the snowblower and must have been thrown that far, when Pat did some shoveling , during the cleanup.
I then sent a photo of the keys to Kim and told her that I had found Pat’s keys. She replied, “That is fantastic news!! Thank you. Did you leave them there or elsewhere”? Since neither Kim of Pat were home, I hid them in the backyard and told Kim, where they could find them. We also agreed to meet in two days, when Pat would be home, so I could add his photo, to my “Book of Smiles”
When I met with Pat this morning, he was extremely happy to have his fob and keys back. Amazingly, after a full month of being in the snow, ice and being rained on, the key fob still worked perfectly. As Pat hit the lock/ unlock button, on the fob , the car would beep and you could hear the vehicle locking and unlocking. This brought a nice big smile to Pat’s face. What a great feeling it is to help people, like Kim and Pat and see the smile on his face. No better feeling than to see their smiles.😀❤️🙏