#how to find a key fob and keys in Maine snow Tag | The Ring Finders

Car Keys and Fob Thought Lost In Scarborough, Maine Snow, Found Visually While Using AMetal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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I received the following message during Tuesday evenings snow storm, at approximately 10:30pm.
“Would you be available tomorrow morning to help locate a set of keys that fell into the snow near my car?”
The message was from Erika and I told her I was already booked, to search for a two rings, in the morning. One ring in Westbrook, Maine and one in South Portland, Maine. I then asked her where she was located and she replied, “Scarborough, Maine.” I then thought to my self that I could have Gary Hill, search for the wedding ring, in Westbrook and I could search for the keys, in the Town of Scarborough, Maine, while on my way to Southportland,ME, to search for a class ring, at Southern Maine Community College. According to Erika, the area she lost her key fob was very small and after searching for 2-3 hours, she just couldn’t find them in the snow. I made plans to meet Erika at 6:30am, the next morning, Wednesday December 3rd. I would be able to search for an hour or so, before I had to be in Southportland .
So, Gary headed to Westbrook, I headed to Scarborough and then on to South Portland. Gary and I had communicated that we would meet up at any, of the locations, to help each other, should the help be needed, once our respective searches were completed. I arrived at Erika’s, promptly at 6:30am and Erika was there to meet me. It was cold and the sun was just starting to rise, as Erika showed me the very small area, to be searched. I knew I could cover the entire area, in just 15-20 minutes. Unfortunately, the two vehicles were setting my metal detector off and I couldn’t get very close to the vehicles. Erika moved one of the vehicles, but couldn’t’t move hers, because she didn’t have the key fob. I searched the entire area, from the stairs, to the house and the areas around the two vehicles. No key fob found. We then took a shovel and moved all the snow, away from any metal objects, that could have been masking the key fob. Even after shoveling, still no key fob. I then decided to search the area, a second time. This time I would search North to South, rather that East to West, like the first search. Fifteen minutes later, still no key fob. I told Erika I would use my Minelab CTX-3030 metal detector, for a third search. I had been using a Minelab Manticore but decided to try my other detector, As I am getting the CTX-3030 set up and started searching, I was telling Erika that I really didn’t think the key fob was outside, in the area she thought it would be. I then started asking Erika many questions like, “Had you gone to any other area of the driveway? No, just around the cars and back and forth into the house, was her reply. “Have you checked your coat pockets and pants pockets”. Yes I have searched the many times. Did you have anything else on that hasn’t been searched, like a hoodie, gloves, or hat?” At that point, Erika said she would be right back and headed into the house. I was continuing the search, with the CTX-3030 and still wasn’t finding anything, not even a key fob. As I was working my way towards the walkway to the house, Erika came out the door and said, “You can stop searching. I have it’ WHAT? She found the key fob? As Erika approached e, she said, “When you were asking me all those questions, you jogged my memory, when you asked if I had had anything else on.” Erika went on to tell me that the previous day, while cleaning the cars off, some snow from the storm had made it’s way down the back of her coat, all over her neck and clothing. Eriks went inside to get the snow out from the inside of her coat and clothing, including a vest, she had been wearing. Once the snow had been removed, Erika went back out side to finish the snow clean up. Once finished, Erika went back inside the house and a few hours later, at 7:00pm, went to get her keys, but couldn’t find them. Thinking she must have dropped them, hours ago, out in the snow, she went outside and searched, for the key fob but couldn’t find it. She went inside and searched through her clothing, forgetting all about the vest, she had taken off, many hours earlier. When I jogged her memory, she went straight to the vest and in the inside pocket, of the vest, was a key fob. Case close!!! Since it was the only key fob available to start her car with, Erika was in panic mode and the vest completely slipped her mind. Erika was extremely relieved and could now get in her vehicle and get on with her day, with a big smile, on her face.
Gary and I ask a lot of questions, on every search. People just don’t remember everything but once we are on site and show an interest, in helping them, people relax a little and start thinking more clearly, once we start asking all those questions. So it isn’t always a metal detector that finds a lost item, sometimes it’s just a little detective work. It doesn’t matter how the lost item is found. The important thing is that the client has their item back and a smile on their face. Another key fob, back in the car and I have the best job, in the world.😀❤️🙏

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Platinum Class Ring Lost In Snow, Found With A Metal Detector In South Portland, Maine

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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On Tuesday evening I received a phone call, from Hailey and I could hear the anguish, in her voice. Approximately an hour earlier, at 9:00pm, Hailey lost her 2023 Oak Hill High School class ring. Hailey is a second year student at Southern Maine Community College (SMCC), in South Portland, Maine and was sledding, on a very small hill, on campus. Hailey and her friends didn’t have anything to slide with, so they improvised some pizza boxes, into sleds. With a snowy winter storm still raging on, Hailey was enjoying the fun of sliding down the hill, with her friends. On her third or fourth trip down the hill, Hailey noticed her 2023 Platinum class ring was no longer on her finger. Hailey and her friends search the snowy hillside for an hour, without finding the ring. At this point, one of her friends suggested Hailey call The Ring Finders of Maine. I told Hailey that I could absolutely search for her ring, but not until the next morning. Because the snow storm was still fairly strong and raging on, I wasn’t going to drive out there, until the storm stopped.

The next morning I arrived at SMCC and called Hailey. Hailey told me she would be right down. I saw a father and his two young children, sledding on the hill and asked them if they had found a ring. They had not. So while waiting for Hailey, I gave the children a demonstration, on how a metal detector works. They had shown an interest, when they saw my metal detector and since I like to set up and calibrate my detector, before I search, it was a win, win. The children loved how my detector, could find metal, under the snow. As I was finishing the demonstration, Hailey arrived, from her dorm room. Hailey then showed me the area they had been sledding and it was a very small area. I was able to search the area in just 10 minutes or so. Since I had searched just half of the hill area, she had been sledding down, I told Hailey, I would expand the search area, to the other half of the hill, on the chance it flew off her finger to that area. I would at the same time, research the area, I had just covered, At the bottom of the hill, there is a parking lot and some snow had been plowed , onto the base of the hill. I asked Hailey if the snowbanks, at the bottom of the hill, had been there, the previous evening. She replied they had not. I was concerned that her class ring may have been plowed into the now fairly frozen snowbank. Hailey had to go back to her dorm room for a few minutes and as she left, I started my grid search, at the top of hill and worked my way down, towards the snowbank and parking lot. I was unable to locate the ring, on the hill. As I stood at the base of the hill, looking at the snowbank, I knew there was no way I would find the ring, deep inside the frozen snowbank. From the parking lot, I  searched the hard packed snow, leading up to the snowbank. The ring was not in the parking lot. I decided to search the snowbank as best as I could, from the parking lot side first. Almost immediately, I received a very faint low tone, reading 05, on my VDI screen and approximately 6-7 inches in the snow. The reading told me that it was definitely a low conducting, non ferrous metal, the same as Platinum. Unfortunately there are many non ferrous trash signals that could ring up in that range, including different foils. It wasn’t a great sounding target but I needed to perform due diligence and check the target out. I removed some snow and ice and then I saw a reddish or purplish colored stone, in a silver colored setting. The ring has been found. I took a few photos, of the ring, as I first saw it. I then called Hailey and as the phone was ringing, Hailey appears at the top of the hill. I asked if she could come down, to the bottom of the hill, so I could ask  her some more questions. When she made it to the bottom, I told her to look in the dug hole, in the snow and asked her “ Does that look familiar?” As Hailey looked into the hole and saw her class ring she says, “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. Thank you” and picks the ring up, placing it back on her finger. Hailey kept thanking me and seeing just how much this ring means to her put a big smile on my face. I then told Hailey that she shouldn’t be wearing her rings, while sledding. Hailey told me she would never wear them again, while sledding. A lesson learned for a young college student, smiles all around and another ring back on the finger. I have the best job, in the world.😀❤️🙏

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Titanium Wedding Ring Lost In Old Orchard Beach Maine, Found Visually, While Searching With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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I received a call from Dave, just after noon on Monday, November 24th. Dave lost his wedding ring, of 15 years, while moving a vehicle. Dave works at a local auto dealer and repair shop and has asked not to mention the establishment or use his photo, in the story. I will absolutely follow his wish. Anyways, Dave had shook his hand, approximately an hour before calling me, as he was getting into a vehicle, he had to move, in the lot. When he shook his hand, his wedding ring went rolling across the lot and was headed towards an embankment of leaves and rocks, leading down, to a small brook. Dave said the ring was rolling very slowly and thought the leaves and rocks would stop the ring, as soon as it reached the end of the pavement. So, as the ring slowly rolled towards the leaves, Dave moved the vehicle and would come back to retrieve the wedding ring, in just a minute or so. Once Dave came back for his ring, he couldn’t find it. He visually searched the leaves and rocks, along the parking lots edge. Dave could not find the ring. Dave also used an inexpensive metal detector, to search the area. Again no ring was found. This is when Dave called me and asked for help. I told Dave I would be right there in approximately 5 minutes, as I live near Saco Main Street less than two miles, from where the ring was lost.

Once I arrived, Dave showed me where he was, when the ring came off his finger and rolled towards the embankment. Dave told me he actually saw the ring rolling and was certain it would be along the edge of parking lot, in an area just 25-30 feet in length. I looked at the area and thought the ring should be right there, as it was slowly rolling and not flying off his finger. I started the detector up and took out a gold test ring and showed Dave how my detector sounds and works. Dave thought his ring was either Tungsten or Titanium but couldn’t remember. Not a problem, the detector will find it, if it is made of metal. Once the detector was set up and running, I worked my way from the east end of the parking area, to the western end of the lot. Nothing found but small pieces of foil were found. I then took a step down the embankment and headed back to the east side of the lot. Again, nothing but trash. I repeated these steps, all the way to the bottom of the embankment. I even searched the brook, at the bottom and the wedding ring still had not been found. Dave was in disbelief and flabbergasted, as was I. I then started searching the area again, only this time I was searching north and south, up and down the embankment , from the parking lot to the brook, up to the lot, back to the brook. Still nothing and at this point, I told Dave that I would switch from my 11” coil, to my 8” sniper coil. I was thinking the ring may have gotten into a crevice and the smaller coil would get into the crevice, easier than the 11” coil. I also asked Dave if he had possibly run the ring over, moving the car and moving the ring, out of the area. No way possible, I was told . The ring was almost to the embankment when he last saw it. No way the wedding ring was near the moving and or parked cars. I then asked Dave if he had looked under the parked cars and he told me that he hadn’t. I asked if he had a flashlight and if he could search under the parked cars, while I performed my third search of the embankment and brook.As I was once again searching, Dave searched under the parked cars, with the flashlight, without finding the ring. I also struck out, for the third time, on the embankment. As I stood talking with Dave, we just couldn’t comprehend how a ring rolling slowly towards the embankment, could just disappear. I told Dave that it just had to be under one of the parked cars and that the cars should be moved, while I once again, for the fourth time, search the embankment. I was also concerned that if the vehicles weren’t searched underneath and moved, the ring may be hit, the next time someone just got in the vehicle and drove off. Moving the vehicles now, in a more controlled environment would be much better. As I was searching, the vehicles were moved and the ring still wasn’t found. When I finished the fourth search, I told Dave that I would return, in the morning, with a leaf blower and blow all the leaves, from the area. But first I wanted to try a little closer to the road, although I did’t think it would have rolled that far, I had to do my due diligence and search it. Still nothing was found and as I was walking back, I heard Dave say, “Oh my God, it’s right here.” As I looked over towards him he reached down and picked up his wedding ring. He found it right where one of the cars had been parked but Dave didn’t see the ring, with the flashlight. Dave also missed seeing it, once the vehicles had been moved. It just blended in with asphalt, pine needles, etc.. It appears that the ring had done a complete 180 boomerang, from the last time Dave had seen the ring. Did the ring hit a pebble of something else and turn around? We will never know. What I do know is that after searching the embankment four times, I just knew the ring wasn’t there. It just had to be under one of the parked cars and once the vehicles were moved, there it was. So, another smile on the face and another ring, back on the finger. I have the best job, in the world.😀❤️🙏

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