Tuesday night about 10:00 PM I received an email from Dan regarding the loss of his wife’s ring, wondering if I could help. I asked if he would call me so I could discuss the situation with him. He also told me in the email that the ring had been lost on Sunday, on a highly groomed beach by the county beach sifters, and detected continuously by many detectorists, which made my heart sink a bit. We talked a little when he said he was in Washington state, but his wife Stephanie was vacationing here in Southern California. After going over some of the particulars, I asked if he would contact his wife to have her call me, so I could try to narrow down the search area. Stephanie called me first thing in the morning as I was getting ready head to the spot for the search. She narrowed down the area for me with specifics. I explained to her about the county cleaners, and although using the term her husband had used in his email to me, « long shot », I told her I would go and perform a thorough search. I asked her if she would be able to meet me there so I would be certain I was searching the correct area, she said she was scheduled to fly home to Washington, so instead of cancelling her fight, and because the possibility of a recovery was a long shot , she decided to fly home as scheduled.
When I got to the beach, to the area Stephanie described, my heart sunk even further. The county had been through with their machines, and the sand was smooth as if someone had dragged a 2×4 across it. I sent this picture to her so she would understand what the possibilities were.
I searched all of the area she had described to me. She told me she had been at the top of the slope, back from the edge going down to the water. I came up with very little in the way of any metal, the county is very thorough. I worked out further in each direction, in case the machines had just moved the ring instead of picking it up; nothing. I worked back from the edge to about 20 feet; nothing. I then decided to work the slope down to the beach, even though she told me she had not been sitting there. It was the one area the county does not clean with the machines. I worked along, and then got a real good signal in the head phones, dug, and had her ring in my scoop. I could not believe it! It was still there after 3 days! It wasn’t until I read Stephanie’s testimonial that I understood what possibly happened, she wrote, « A person nearby came over and started to help me – really pushing the sand away to try and uncover the ring. » I think that probably the person who « helped her », really did help her, by probably throwing the ring down the slope, out of the reach of the county’s machines.
I got home, went to the post office after getting their address from Dan, and sent the ring off to Washington. What a great opportunity, to be of importance to someone in need; a great day indeed.
Stephanie sent the following for this post:
I flew into LA for a long weekend. On Sunday I decided to go to the beach. Before I left the hotel, I very intentionally decided to wear my wedding band but not engagement ring out that day. I was traveling without my husband and wanted to make sure I looked married.
I jumped on the bus, grabbed a drink at Starbucks, and made my way to the ocean. I put on sunscreen. I sent happy pictures to my family. I popped in earbuds and was basking in the sun. I absentmindedly touched my left thumb to my ring finger. No wedding band!
I sat up very carefully. I combed the beach with my fingers. Then I gently pushed the sand to the side with my palm. A person nearby came over and started to help me – really pushing the sand away to try and uncover the ring. We searched for over half an hour. No ring to be found.
I returned to the apartment, certain that the ring was lost. A day passed. Two days later a friend chided me to be more active in trying to get the ring back. I called the bus company. No ring. I went back to Starbucks. No ring. A third day passed. Late that night a friend encouraged me to check CraigsList lost and found. No ring, but a picture of a guy with a metal detector.
I dropped a message to my husband (still at home, but with a Craigslist account) – “Can you contact this guy?” I gave my rough location for him to pass on– a cardinal direction and a life tower number. I sent along a vague aerial map with an arrow pointing to a stretch of sand. I described my ring – it’s practically a hollow dime – 3mm wide and tiny – a size 4. I went to bed.
I woke up in the morning and saw a text message from my husband. “Call him – his name is Steve.” I spoke with Steve. I was scheduled to get on a plane back home that morning and we agreed it was probably best for me to get on the plane versus meeting him on the beach.
Before I boarded the plane, Steve sent a picture of the beach. It had been groomed the night before – smooth sand. I saw even less probability of a recovery. I powered down my phone for the flight.
I landed at home in Seattle. I fired up my phone as soon as we touched down. I saw an image had been delivered, but it took a moment to download. The image pushed through – It was Steve’s hand, palm up, sand in the background. In the palm, of course, my platinum, hollow dime of a wedding band.
I’d been good about resisting crying up until this point, but I gasped and started crying when I saw this image. I called my husband, “Is that my ring?!” In retrospect, I am fairly certain the men sitting on either side of me on the plane thought they witnessed me being proposed to. In reality, I didn’t cry 8 years ago when my husband proposed. I reserved the tears for the moment that Steve presented me with the ring.
Less than a day after landing, the ring arrived via secure post, courtesy of Steve, was back on my finger. For good!
If you lose your ring or other metal item of value, call as soon as possible. I will work hard, using the most up to date metal detectors, to help you find what you thought might never be found again. I search, Beverly Hills, Hermosa Beach, Huntington Beach, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Newport Beach, Northridge, Pasadena, Rancho Palos Verdes, Redondo Beach, Santa Monica, Seal Beach, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Torrance, Venice Beach, and all parks, yards, gardens, and ponds (to 5 foot depths) in all of Orange County, all of Los Angeles County, and Ventura County.
