how to find a lost ring in the ocean Tag | The Ring Finders

Gold Wedding Band Lost in the Sand, Found and Returned Wrightsville Beach NC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

On June 25, 2026, around 4 p.m. I got a call from Ring Finder John Finnerin, Oak Island NC asking if I’d take a call at Wrightsville Beach NC. John gave me a few details and I told him to go ahead and give the gentleman my phone number. I didn’t hear anything until the morning of 6/26/2026 when Jack called me asking if I could help. At the time, I was driving to another search and I asked him a few details, like where he lost it, wet or dry sand. He stated dry sand, and I asked him if there was any chance of it getting wet, in which he stated no. I asked him to send me the info on the area with an address. I also told him that as soon as I finished the search I was going to I’d let him know. After a successful search, I headed towards Wrightsville Beach and started contemplating what was ahead. Traffic started getting heavy and I thought today being Friday, tourist are coming and going. Parking at the beach would be non-existent and the beach would be crowded. I called Jack and explained my concerns to him and that I was going to hold off until later in the afternoon to go. He understood and agreed. Meanwhile Jack had sent me the beach access number with pictures including a Google map where he had drawn the suspected loss area.

I decided to leave my house around 5 p.m. and make the hour and a half drive, arriving between 7 and 7:15. Everything was working as planned until I tried to find a place to park when I got there. The crowds had moved from the beach to the restaurants and there was still no parking. All the parking at Wrightsville Beach is metered street parking until 8 p.m. so I just kept driving in circles hoping for something. I finally found a spot closer than I thought I would and took it. There was still 15 minutes of pay parking, so I took a chance and didn’t pay the $6 an hour. I found the beach access Jack gave me and took and sent a picture to Jack to show him I was there. When I got out on the beach I looked at the photos Jack sent and set up my search area. About half way through, I took a quick break. As I’m standing there, I see a family with about 20 Adults and kids combined. The adults lined the kids up in two lines to have an egg toss. Unfortunately they were spread out in the exact area I needed to search. So for about 30 minutes or so I stood there watching kids throwing eggs at each other, meanwhile I was losing daylight. When they finished and headed back to their rentals, I picked up where I had left off. It wasn’t long afterwards I hit a solid target that I knew was a gold ring. I scooped up the sand holding the ring, shook it out and there was a gold ring in the scoop. From the description Jack gave me, I knew I had his ring. I took a quick picture of me holding his ring with a text saying, “Yours??” and sent it to him. He immediately responded, Yes!!! I told him I’d get it in the mail to him that Monday and asked for his address, which he supplied.  Monday, I got it in the mail and he is supposed to get it by Thursday.

He got the ring in the mail as scheduled and today, Sunday he sent me the pictures I requested. This was a great ending to an almost tragic loss.

Jack – Thank you for allowing me to help find your lost wedding band.

Jim

 

3 Rings Lost in the Dry Sand, Found and Returned North Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

On July 2, 2026 just before 11 a.m., I got a call from John saying his wife had lost her rings in the dry sand and asked how my service worked. After explaining that I do this on a reward/gratuity basis and then donate 10% to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, he gave me the details of what happened. He said the rings were lost in the dry sand where they were sitting. I told him I’d be there in about 30-45 minutes, grabbed my Equinox 800 and headed to their location. On the way, I text John saying, “If you’re digging for them, stop. You could either bury them deeper or move them.” He wrote back that he told her to stop.

When I arrived, I found one of my secret spots to park and sent John a text saying, “I’ll be walking out on the beach shortly.” When I walked out on the beach, it was packed with people, two and three families deep from the slope back into the dry sand. John called me and said, “I’m waving at you.” I made my way down to where John, his wife Ashley, and a few others were sitting. Ashley explained that the rings were on the arm of the beach chair, which she moved. She had already found 1 of the rings but the other 2 were still buried. I swung the coil over the area where the chair was with no luck. We moved other chairs, bags, etc out of the way and I followed the small path where Ashley had moved the chair. A couple of swings in the new area and I got a solid 10 on the VDI (visual display indicator), bingo, found 1. I handed that one to John and swung the coil and hit another solid 10. Scooped that one up and let Ashley reach in the scoop and retrieve it. All 3 rings were back where they belong and safe. I suggested to Ashley that she put her rings in a safe place in her bag, which she did.

John and Ashley – Thank you for trusting me to help find your treasures. Have a great vacation and stay safe.

Jim

Black with Blue Sapphire Stone High School Class Ring Lost in the Wet to Dry Sand, Found and Returned Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

On Thursday, June 25, 2026, just before 8 a.m.  I received a message from Josie that said, “Hello, someone referred me to you to find my son’s high school ring, it fell in the shore waves yesterday right in front of the Bermuda Sands Resort. I was told if anyone can find is a black ring with a blue sapphire stone and has his name on it.” I didn’t see the message until a little after 10 and then messaged her to call me and added my phone number. Low tide was just before 11 a.m. so I had time to work the outgoing tide. I got a few more details, including that they were checking out at 11 a.m. from the resort. I asked her if she could meet me to show me the area and she agreed. I told her I’d be there a little after 11, grabbed my Equinox 800 and was on the road.

When I arrived, I met Josie on the beach, and she showed me where they had been sitting. I started an east/west grid search above the suspected spot and worked my way down the beach slope to the low tide line. I ran a north grid and wasn’t having any luck other than a little change. So, I went back to my starting point and ran a south grid. Probably about 5 lines south of the original spot I hit a solid 5 on the VDI (visual display indicator). Josie wasn’t sure what metal the ring was, but when I’m doing a ring search, I dig everything even though I know what it is. One shallow scoop of sand and I had the target in my scoop. I shook out the sand and looked in and saw her son, Kabriel’s ring lying in the bottom of the scoop.   Bingo!! I held the ring up so Josie knew I found it and she came running! She was very excited and so relieved. I’m sure it’s going to be a much more pleasant 4 plus hour drive home.

Josie – Thank you so much for trusting me to help find your son’s very special HS ring and get it back where it belongs! I wish you all the best.

Jim

 

Man’s 14K Yellow Gold Wedding Band Lost in the Ocean, Found and Returned Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

On Sunday, June 21, 2026 (Father’s Day), I got a text message just before 5 p.m. saying in part, “Hi Jim, this is Nathan. I lost my wedding ring at the beach yesterday and learned today that you find wedding rings. I was wondering if you are able to search for it. I know the approximate area it fell off my hand during high tide. It was in front of the Island Vista Condos and the ring has an inscription in it. Thank you for your time, and if you’re busy no stress. Its life, it happens and I know this is a long shot.” He also sent a picture of both the area and his ring. I immediately called him to get more details. He said he had been swimming in the ocean and as he moved his left arm to take a stoke, he felt his ring come off. I asked about what time and whether he was swimming towards or away from shore, he stated away. The time coincided with close to high tide, which he said, and he also stated he was about chest deep. Low tide was coming up so I told him I’d come and see what I could do.

He and his wife Abbey had already checked out of the resort that day. So, when I got there, I used the picture he sent to get an idea where I needed to search. I also face timed him to double check where I needed to be. At some point before they checked out, he had built up some sand mounds. He lined me up with a house on the beach and the mounds and gave me a good starting point. Knowing he lost it at high tide meant I didn’t have to get soaked. I still ventured out to about waist deep on my grid search. I started on the north end of the house and his sand mounds and worked south. When I made my turn on the far south end of the house, I hit a solid 17 on the VDI (visual display indicator), exactly the number I was looking for. I dug a couple of scoops, laid it out on the beach; spread the sand out with my foot and BINGO! I saw his ring lying in the sand. Cleaned the sand off, found a shell and took a picture. I sent him the picture and called him. He was so excited he had a hard time talking. Luckily, they were still in the area and having a Father’s Day Dinner with Abbey’s parents. They were just finishing up and would come back to get the ring. I was standing next to the car when they pulled up, stopped and got out of the car. Nathan was still excited and shocked to get his ring back. Great couple with matching wedding bands back where they belong!

Nathan and Abbey – Thank you for trusting me to help find your lost treasure. Take care of yourselves and each other and the very best of wishes.

Jim

2 Special Wedding Bands Combined into 1 in Tribute and Love for his Mother, Lost in the Ocean. Found and Returned on Carolina Beach NC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

On Thursday, June 4, 2026, and just after 6 p.m., I received the following text. “Hello Jim, I found you on ring finders and I am visiting Carolina Beach with my family. I lost my wedding ring at 4:45 p.m. today almost directly in front of lifeguard stand 5. I honestly would replace it if it was just a wedding band, but half of the ring is my late mothers who died when I was in my twenties. Thanks for your time and my name is Damien. I immediately sent him a text to call. I got more details on the situation and told him that we missed the tide for the day. We made arrangements to meet the next day before low tide.

On Friday, low tide wasn’t until 5 pm, giving way to stronger winds with higher and harder waves. Damien was waiting in his driveway when I arrived, and we made our way to find a place to park. We got lucky and got permission from one of the rental owners to park in his space. When we hit the beach, it was as I expected with lots of wind and good size waves. Damien pointed out the suspected area, which was between the #5 lifeguard stand and maybe 30 yards north. I started an east/west grid line getting out as far as I could with no luck. After close to a couple of hours and getting pounded by waves, I called the search off. I knew I’d be back; it was just a question of when.

Looking at Saturday morning’s low tide, the tide tables showed it was going to be around 5 am. That would mean I’d have to get up at 2:30 am to make the hour and half plus drive. I opted to wait until Sunday and hit the 7 am tide, leaving the house a little after 4am. On Sunday, everything went as planned and I arrived at the beach before 6 which gave me a little over an hour to search.

When I walked out on the beach, the wind and waves were as good as they were going to get. I started west of the lifeguard stand and got out about chest deep; farther than I expected to search for his ring. About halfway across the search area, as I made my turn to head back to shore, I swung the coil out and got a loud, solid signal. As I stuck the scoop in the sand, I noticed the target had settled inside the trough. The trough is what causes the waves to crash, which is exactly what was happening. Two scoops and I had the target out. I washed the sand out of the scoop in the waves and heard the clatter of the ring. Looking inside the scoop, there was Damian’s very special ring. While I was admiring the ring in my scoop, the coil was getting covered in sand that was washing into the trough with the waves. As I pulled the coil out of the sand, I broke the coil ears that connect the coil to the shaft. This flaw is one of the very few pitfalls of the Equinox 800s.

I took a picture of the ring and made my way back to the car. I headed to the rental Damian, and his family was staying in to give them a good morning surprise. Unfortunately, they had left the night before and had driven home. So at 7:13 am, I sent the picture along with a text saying, “You awake?? Yours?” At 8:39 am on my drive home I got a response, “That is it! Give me a sec, literally just woke up.” I called him shortly after and he was truly surprised his treasure was found. He texted me a little later saying how grateful he was that his special ring was found. He also stated in the text, “Half of that gold in the ring was from my mom who passed away in 2011. You can see the line in the ring where it separates it.” He sent me his address, and I got the ring in the mail Monday.

Damian – Thank you for trusting me to help find your very special and sentimental wedding band.

Jim

White Gold w/Blue Sapphire Engagement Ring lost in the Ocean. Found and Returned Wrightsville Beach, NC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

On Friday, May 22, 2026, just after 8:30 am, I received a call from the Oak Island, NC.  Ring Finder, John Finnerin. He asked if I could take a call from a young lady, Amanda, who lost her engagement ring on Wrightsville Beach, NC. I told him I’d be glad to and we hung up. Amanda called me and explained that she had lost her ring the day before. I told her I’d be there in about an hour and 30-40 minutes. On the way, I ask for an address where we could meet and a few more details. In some of her response she stated she probably lost it around 2 or 3pm and wasn’t sure if she lost it in the water or where they were sitting. She also said that they were in the water and did go out to chest deep around 2pm. I looked at the time I’d be there and where the tide was going to be and it didn’t look promising.

When I got to the meeting area, Blaine, her fiancé was waiting at the corner to direct me to parking. We walked up the street to the beach access and I met Amanda. We walked out on the beach and over to the area they had been sitting, Blaine thought it was another 30 yards south. Looking over the situation, it was very close to high tide, and the sea breeze had picked up and blowing some pretty good size waves up on the beach. About the only thing I was going to be able to accomplish then was going to be a grid search of the beach down to the water’s edge. I did an east/west grid search and eliminated the entire beach area. At that point, I was stalling for time hoping that the sea and wind would calm down, didn’t happen! I did try and see how far I could get out in the water. Unfortunately, when a wave hit me and knocked me down, causing me to break the cuff on my detector, my day was done. I came to the conclusion that I’d have to come back and hit the morning low tide for calm seas and before the sea breeze started. I don’t remember if I told Amanda and Blaine that I was going to come back or not. This was Friday, and because of the Memorial Day weekend, I wasn’t able to get back out until Tuesday morning around 9 am. I called my good friend Burwin, who has helped me numerous times and asked him if he was up for an adventure. I don’t think he’s ever told me no.

We showed up a little after 9 am on Tuesday and I asked him to start on the east side, and I’d start on the west side, and we’d meet in the middle. Both of us were doing a north/south grid line. Since I was down a detector, I broke out my Surf PI. I haven’t used that machine in years; it just gets heavy. I was probably a quarter of the way across my area and maybe shin deep when I got a hit. I pulled out 3 scoops of heavy wet sand before I got the target out of the hole. Spread the sand out and ran the coil over the area. Boom! I saw a round object packed with sand and reached down to pick it up. I had Amanda’s ring in my hand. I cleaned it off and took 3 pictures of it. I called Amanda, who was working, and asked her what her ring looked like. I knew I had it from the description she gave me on day one.  I also sent her the 3 pictures. As she’s explaining, she stopped and said, “My Ring!” I know there were tears flowing down her cheeks, and she couldn’t talk. I love the surprise reactions, makes it all worthwhile!! I was able to make it to the Post Office and get it in the mail. She should get it Friday.

Today, Saturday I got a text message with a picture of Amanda attached. The text said, “Officially got my ring back! We’re beyond grateful for your help Jim!!”

Amanda and Blaine – I’m so happy I could find your treasure. Thank you for trusting me to help.

Jim

 

White Gold Wedding Band Lost in the Dry Sand, Found and Returned Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

This adventure started at 9:30 am on Memorial Day, 2026 when I received a text from Maureen saying, “Hi, is this the ring finder gentleman? She went on to say, “I apologize so much, I know it’s a holiday, but I was told the sooner I try to get help finding it the better.  We were in front of the Carolinian Beach Resort on 25th Ave in Myrtle Beach with some friends yesterday and I lost my wedding band. It’s just a straight band with 5 diamonds across. It was given to me by my husband by his mom to give to me and I’m just devastated. I’ve been out with my dad’s metal detector once, and we are going to try and go out with it again today. Do you think there’s any chance in a million of finding it?” I immediately called the number, and it went to voice mail, so I text her to call me. When she called, I asked her if she could meet me and told her I could be there in about 30-40 minutes. She agreed, and I told her I was on my way.

When I got there, I texted her and she responded their GPS said they were about 16 minutes out. I asked her if she could give me a location on the beach with some landmarks, which she did. Luckily the beach wasn’t crowded yet, but there was a family just getting ready to set up their spot and it was very close to where I needed to search. I explained what I was doing and asked nicely if I could check their area really quick. They agreed and I quickly went over the area and got a solid 26 on the VDI (visual display indicator). Well, the 26 told me the target was in the silver range. This was way outside the single digits I expected for a white gold wedding band, which was what Maureen’s wedding band was. I dug the target and found a ring, it was nice looking, but one of the cheap rings people buy at the beach shops for $10 bucks. I thanked the family and waited for Maureen, her husband Miguel and their children.

Maureen and her family showed up a short time later and met me on the beach. Maureen walked to the south side of the area where they had been sitting. She said that she had taken her rings off and put them under the strap of her swimming suit top to put sunscreen on her and the kids. After she was done, her engagement ring was there but the wedding band had fallen out. I turned the Equinox 800 back on and started a north/south grid. Within just a few minutes, I got a booming 6 on the VDI, Bingo!! This was exactly what I was expecting for her white gold ring. Took a scoop of sand, shook out the sand and saw her ring in the bottom of the scoop. I held the scoop out to her and let her pull her treasure out. She was so excited, and some tears started to flow. Perfect ending and another chapter to add to her ring story.

Maureen – Thank you so much for calling and trusting me to help find your precious ring, so glad I could help. I wish all the best to you and Miguel.

Jim

 

Yellow Gold Man’s Ring Lost in the Ocean, Found and Returned Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

On March 8th, 2026, on my way to another search on Carolina Beach NC I received a text. The text said, “Hi Jim! My name is Sloan. I have been torn apart since last night. I was on the beach with my friends in Myrtle (Specifically right in front of Tin Roof/Hilton grand vacations to the left of the pier), and I’ve had this gold ring my dad gave me on that slipped off right when I wasn’t even mid-calf deep in the water. It was his ring since the 70s and I’ve had it on for 6 years, never fallen off. I am not too sure how you go about this, but I would love to talk more!” As I’m driving, I’m trying to formulate a plan on how the current search I’m going to and getting back to Myrtle Beach that’s about a 2-hour drive. The Carolina Beach should be fairly quick as it’s in the dry sand with no chance of the tide covering it up and the young lady knew the area. Looking at the tide tables for Myrtle Beach, low tide was at 5:30 in the evening. Everything considered, I could probably be in Myrtle Beach around 4 pm, so I called Sloan. When I called Sloan, she told me that she lost the ring about 2 am and knew the area well. I told her what was going on with me and that I could probably be there around 4. I asked if she could meet me and show me the area. Unfortunately, she had to be at work at 3:30 but could see if one of her friends could meet me and show me the area. Sometimes it doesn’t work out to well when the involved individual isn’t the one showing you where and adding other important details as we talk.

After a successful recovery/return, I called Sloan and she told me she had gotten someone to take her shift, and she would be there. We worked out the details, and I told her I’d be there at 4, and I would keep her posted. She told me it’d take her about 30 minutes to get there. Things were falling into place! I texted her when I was 40 minutes out. She responded that she was on her way.

Luckily, we both pulled into the parking lot at the same time. We met and it started raining. We waited out the downpour and made our way to the beach while it was still sprinkling. She was so helpful when we walked out on the beach. She walked right out to the wet sand, turned around and lined herself up with her landmarks. I turned my detector on and started an east/west grid search from the high tide line to about shin deep in the outgoing tide. This being a gold ring, I knew the VDI (Visual Display Indicator) number was going to be in the mid-teens (anywhere from 13-18 depending on the size of the ring and the karat). On my third line, I got a solid 14. This could be either the gold ring or a pull tab. As I stuck the scoop in the sand, I told Sloan that she might see me digging a lot, but some of it might be trash. As I pulled out the second scoop of sand, I saw the gold ring sticking out of the sand. I reached down, pulled it out and held it up for Sloan to see. To say she got excited would be an understatement. She was thrilled! She tried calling her dad to let him know, but he didn’t answer. She called her mom, who was also excited it’d be found.

Sloan – Thank you for trusting me to help find your lost treasure. So happy to help and get it back where it belongs!

Jim

Platinum Wedding Band and Engagement Ring set lost in the Sand, Found and Returned Carolina Beach NC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

This search and recovery started with a phone call from The Ring Finder on Oak Island NC, John Fininnerin on Sunday, March 8th, 2026. He asked if I’d be able to take a search on Carolina Beach for a young lady who had lost her Platinum wedding band set. I agreed and he passed my name and number on to Kelsey who called. I wasn’t able to take the call at the time. When I called her back she told me that she had put her ring in her pants pocket. When she tried to get the ring out, it flipped out and quickly disappeared in the soft sand. She said she tried looking for it but hadn’t been able to find it. She also told me that she knew the area it disappeared. I asked her if she could meet me and that it’d take me about an hour and a half to drive the 70 miles. She agreed and sent me her address, which was right next to the beach access.

When I arrived in the parking lot, she was waiting. We walked out to the area and I turned on my Equinox 800.  She must have gotten there early to lay claim to the area, which was a little crowded with beach goers. The area was maybe 5X8 foot. Knowing the ring set was Platinum, I knew the VDI (visual display indicator) number display on the detector was going to be 10-11. It took a few minutes and a little outside the suspected area before I hit the 10 I was looking for. I had her rings in the scoop, gently shook the sand out and walked over and held the scoop up to her so she could see and retrieve her treasure. Bingo, she was trying not to, but a few tears appeared. She told me after the fact, that while she was looking for it, there were a few people helping. We both suspected that her rings were inadvertently moved in the process, which was why they were outside the suspected area.

Kelsey – Thank you for allowing me to help find your lost treasure. Best wishes to you and Thank you to your Husband for his service to our county.

Jim

14K Yellow Gold Earring Lost on a Nature Trail, Found and Returned Bird Island NC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

On Dec 19th, there was a post on a couple of the Sunset Beach NC Face Book pages from Aileen. The post said in part that her son’s (Sean) Girlfriend (Meg), had lost an earring that her mother had given her. That they had been walking on a Nature trail behind the *Kindred Spirit Mailbox, and she is pretty sure it happened when she took her poncho off. The last thing on the post was to contact Meg, via text, with a number.  Aileen also attached a picture of the yellow gold earring. I checked the responses and saw that 3 or 4 people had already referred her to contact me and listed my contact information. So, I didn’t respond and waited to see if I’d get a call. *Kindred Spirit Mailbox is a famous, secluded mailbox on Bird Island, near Sunset Beach NC filled with journals where visitors write their innermost thoughts, secrets and dreams. The mailbox is listed as 1.5 miles from the last beach access on Sunset Beach. I’ve walked it a few times on searches and I honestly think it’s mismarked because it’s taken me close to an hour to get there.

The next afternoon just before 3, I got a text saying, “Hi! I got your number from my boyfriend’s mother. She posted about possibly helping with lost jewelry on sunset beach/bird island. Would you be interested in helping?” A follow up text said, “My name is Meggie. I lost one of my mother’s earrings on the bird island trail. I have a pretty good idea of where. Would love and eternally appreciate the help of a metal detector.” I immediately called Meg for additional details. One of my concerns was the walk down and back from the area. Meg told me that they had E-bikes that we could use; now this could be fun since I’ve never ridden an E-bike before. She told me she’d text me her address and we agreed to meet today, Sunday at noon. After we hung up, I got to thinking about how I was going to carry my detector and drive the bike, so I text Meg back and didn’t get an answer.

This morning about 11 am, I still hadn’t heard from Meg with her address, so I text her again and didn’t get an answer. A short time later I called her and didn’t get an answer, so I left her a voice mail. I started wondering if she had changed her mind or if something else had come up. About 15 minutes before we were supposed to meet, I got a text saying, “Hey Jim, sorry I’m awful with the phone! She also sent me the address.” I responded, “On my way, be there in about 30 minutes.”

When I got there, I got to meet Sean and he gave me a quick lesson on the E-bike, I was excited!! He helped me strap my detector to the bike and I was ready to go. A short time later Meg came out and she was ready as well. Our trip down the beach to the mailbox was perfect and no walking or wrecks on the bike. We got to the start of the trail at 1:11 pm and I tested Meg’s other earring again to make sure I was getting the best signal I could. I took the equinox 800 through all the modes and found that Park 2 gave me the best signal and showed a 1 on the VDI (visual display indicator). The trail looked like it was a game trail that through time and use turned into a wider path with bushes, weeds, and sticker bushes on both sides. As we’re walking, I’m swinging from far left to far right in case the earring was flung off instead of dropping straight down. I was getting a lot of deep signals that were trash but no earring. We got to the “hot zone” where Meg had removed the poncho with no results and made our turn to go back. We got back in the hot zone and I hit a solid 1 with a great signal. Took my pin pointer out and ran it through the small soft sand area and didn’t hit the target. I took my hands and was scooping up small amounts of sand and out popped the earring, BINGO!! I picked it up and handed it back to Meg. What a very happy young lady.

Aileen – Thank you so much for your posts on FB, it helped save the earring.

Meg – Thank you so much for trusting me to help find your very special treasure, it was my honor.

Jim