how to find a lost ring in the San Francisco Bay Area Tag | Page 2 of 2 | The Ring Finders

Diamond Engagement/Wedding Ring lost in lake…Recovered in Foster City, CA!!!

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)
Contact:

Bay Area Ring Finders: Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590

Saedah was in an obvious panic when she lost her diamond engagement/wedding ring off the deck and into the lake at a Bay Area restaurant!  She admitted to locating THERINGFINDERS.COM website and proceeding to contact just about every member in the Bay Area for help.  Once word got to me, the idea of performing only my 2nd request for a water recovery this year was appealing.  It was late in the evening and I wouldn’t be available until mid-day the following afternoon, but I agreed to sign on to the task.

The details as to where the ring fell into the lake were really good, however the depth was left a bit ambiguous.  Not knowing this piece of the puzzle, I packed an enormous amount of equipment for the recovery.  When I showed up to the location I used a tape measure to check the depth of the water near the site Saedah noted the ring was lost.  It was just under 5 feet in depth but dropped off steep.  I decided to make an attempt without a ton of gear and took just a scoop and the Equinox 800.  I located a CLOSED for CONSTRUCTION boat dock to access the water from and slid into the water.  Making it half the distance to the location of the missing diamond ring, I turned back to grab a mask and snorkel.

Once in the location underneath where Saedah and friends were sitting prior to the loss of the ring, it took only seconds to recover it.  We had MADE THE RECOVERY!!!

As I emerged from the lake with my gear and the missing ring, patrons of the restaurant clapped and congratulated me.  The manager stated that a lot of phones, rings, eating utensils and other things often end up in the lake along the deck, but this was the first time he had heard of anything being recovered.  I sent Saedah a picture of the ring and then called… she was overjoyed that the ring was found and safe and set out to meet me at the location.  This was an excellent way to start the weekend!

I wanted to thank Saedah for trusting me with the recovery of her meaningful and precious ring.  And also to all of the other Ring Finders who helped point her in my direction!  I consider this a win for all of us, Thank you!

The boat dock from which I entered the water and the deck the missing ring was lost off of.

Freshly recovered from the lake!

The recovered ring!

The Diamond Engagement/Wedding ring!

Saedah with her ring back where it belonged.

Bay Area Ring Finders: Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590

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Platinum Mens Ring Lost in Berkeley, CA….Found!!!

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)
Contact:

Bay Area Ring Finders: Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590 

On Sunday August 27th, I had the pleasure to assist Fred with his lost Platinum Ring.  Due to the nature of the call and the information he provided, this would be as quick and simple as you like.  He was removing some plants from his front garden when the ring went amiss.  There were only three small locations the ring could possibly be when I arrived.  Within 5 minutes of being onsite Fred had his Platinum ring back. A VDI of 11-12 and good tone meant « WE MADE THE RECOVERY!!! »

He and I had a pleasant chat about metal detectors, metal detecting, and permits for certain parks in the Bay Area.  He had thought about renting a metal detector prior to finding our THERINGFINDERS.COM site.  Additionally, he called a neighbor who had recently lost a hearing aid in their backyard a few blocks away.  Fred was already shopping my services and spreading the word.

Thank you Fred, I’m happy everything worked out as it did, and it was nice to have met your acquaintance.

Fred’s Platinum Ring back where it belongs.

 

The Platinum Ring

 

The hiding spot!

Bay Area Ring Finders: Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590 

 

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AMAZING…14K wedding band lost for 25 years…RECOVERED!!!

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)
Contact:

Bay Area Ring Finders: Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590 

Almost 25 years ago, a gentleman working in his yard in Oakland, CA lost his 14K yellow gold wedding band.  The family searched, but never recovered the ring.  In 2008 this same gentleman, a beloved father and husband, lost his life to cancer.  May he rest in peace!

Fast forward to July 2023, fellow ring finder and friend Jes Muse from THERINGFINDERS.COM requests that I cover a call out she had received.  Jes is recovering from a recent surgery and I wish her a successful and speedy recovery.  She sent all the pertinent information for me to reach out to Mr. Limon regarding his fathers lost ring.

After a brief conversation, it was decided that 7-18-2023 at 3pm we would meet at his childhood home.  This home is on the market to be sold and this week would likely be the last opportunity to search for the long gone wedding band.  We met on the street and he showed me the area we would be working,  a small terraced hillside that once was covered in ivy at the front of the home.  The hillside had since been reworked and the ivy removed, being replaced with mulch.

I set up my Equinox 800 and anchored in at the corner of the hillside and grid from bottom to top, right to left facing the hill.  The very first signal was perfect… a VDI (visual discrimination indicator of 16 in both directions….heart break as we pulled an odd brass like fitting.  We continued the grid search systematically removing every target we found.  Then, mid-slope almost exactly where Mr. Limon recalled his father telling him it was lost all those years ago…WE MADE THE RECOVERY!!!!

The signal was not as perfect as I had hoped, but may have been partially masked by another metal object or maybe laid in an awkward position .  The VDI was 18, 19, 20 at 4″ deep and I dug a large plug as to not damage anything below. There, in the spoils of the plug, was the 14K wedding band that went missing almost 25 years earlier.

After recovering the ring, Mr. Limon was kind enough to share all the details I have included above.  He and his family were also most generous in sending me some very emotion evoking photos later that evening.  Thank you very kindly for entrusting me with the search for this very precious piece of your family history and I’m very happy that it will continue to tell a very exciting new story.

The cleaned 14K gold wedding band that rested nearly 25 years in the ground.

Photographed with her late husbands wedding band after 25 years lost in the yard.

Mr. Limon with the fresh recovery of the ring.

Metal detecting the slope where the ring had been lost nearly 25 years earlier.

Bay Area Ring Finders: Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590 

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Gold ring lost in San Francisco Bay….RECOVERED!!!

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)
Contact:

Bay Area Ring Finders: Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590 

The sun had set 30 minutes earlier and the fog meant no moonlight would be available.  The tide was going out of the San Francisco Bay at a rapid clip.  The water temperature was approximately 53 degrees and the ambient air was about 55 degrees.  I dressed in my farmer john wetsuit and fired up the Equinox 800 knowing that this recovery was possible, but would likely be difficult.

Earlier in the  evening, Ben contacted me stating that he had lost his heirloom gold wedding band at a private beach club while performing a « plunge » in the bay.  He could narrow the search to a 10×10 foot area of water about waist deep.  The request was made for immediate mobilization for a recovery effort.

After meeting Ben at the Aquatic Park, he escorted me to the beach location… a beautiful little private section of the beach along docks housing historical ships for the maritime museum.  An aesthetically pleasing and adventurous treasure hunt was now under way.

I entered the water for a hasty search of the area and made 4 passes from the top of the beach to chin deep water.  The only light was provided by the headlamp I donned on my head.  The water was void of any targets.  I had to test the coil against the sand scoop to be sure it was functioning proper.

On the 5th pass I hit a jumpy 16-17-21 target in chest deep water, the only thing I had detected in 30 minutes of searching.  It would take several attempts to collect the object in the sand scoop, but upon inspection…a ring, a gold band…WE HAD MADE THE RECOVERY!!!

If I’m being honest, this was one of my proudest recoveries.  I felt the part of a true treasure hunter searching cold water, in the dark, beneath the tall ships of the maritime museum.  The owner of the ring, Ben was both astounded and grateful that the ring he once thought lost was back in its rightful place on his finger.

Thank you Ben for entrusting me with the recovery of your very precious ring.  It was a pleasure to assist you.

Ben was ecstatic to have his 10k heirloom wedding band back on his hand!

 

Bens 10k Gold Heirloom Wedding Band.

 

Night Shot of the search area.

 

Search Area without supplemental lighting.

 

As seen with headlamp.

Bay Area Ring Finders: Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590 

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Lost Platinum and Diamond stud earring on Pleasanton, CA Soccer Field…Found!!!

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)
Contact:

Bay Area Ring Finders: Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590 

When Aditi contacted me on the 7th of May, I had no clue about the new lesson I was about to be taught.  At this point, I did not even know the issues that existed that would lead to the lessons I would be learning during this recovery.

Aditi requested help locating her platinum and diamond stud earring. The stud had been displaced from her ear by one of her young sons.  They were in a large grass field observing a soccer match when the incident occurred and she had visually seen the disposed earring fall into the grass. Now, these were very nice earrings, but what made them even more special was that these were a 10 year anniversary gift from her adoring husband. After searching for some time the family sadly left the park and Aditi sought out an alternative solution.  A google search put her on The Ring Finders page and in contact with me.  With the last of the days light waning, it was determined that I would perform the search the following afternoon.

The next day was beautiful and I had high hopes for a successful speedy recovery, though I knew that a stud earring in a grass field might be extremely difficult.  I met Aditi’s mother at the sports fields.  She too, had been there the day prior and assisted with the search.  A boundary was set and I grid the search zone with cones I carry in my kit.  I was utilizing my Equinox 800 with the large coil and searched in Park 2.  Additionally, I was using my Garret pin pointer to scan the lawn when potential signals were noted. After 1 hour, the mother suggested we conclude the search but I stayed with it another 30 minutes before calling it off to regroup. I sent a message to Aditi letting her know what I had done and that I had been unsuccessful, but not to lose hope.  I knew that I was going back.

Back home I ran a series of tests with different coils and different settings on my wife’s stud earrings.  I contacted a few trusted detectorists for advice.  The first lesson I discovered in this process was that these stud earrings were very difficult to pick up regardless of settings and coils.  The second lesson I learned was that the Garret pin pointer could not pick up the greater majority of the stud earrings I tested.  This meant that all of the would-be-targets that I did detect and used the pin pointer to clear, it gave me a false probability of detection. I would be going back to the field.

The next opportunity I got, I made the trip back to the sports park and reestablished the grid in the defined search area. I also utilized the 6″ coil in the Gold 1 setting which I found to be the most useful during my testing.   This time I painstakingly visually searched the grass beneath any and all promising targets. About 45 minutes into this trip I had a booming repetitive VDI of 1, I got down low and combed through the tall, thick, green grass and that was when I knew, we had made the recovery!

Before removing the item, I tested the pin pointer…nothing!!!  I took a series of photos and sent a text to Aditi wishing her a Happy Mothers Day followed by images of her once lost and now found platinum and diamond earring.  I’m hopeful that it helped make her day just a little bit brighter.  Thank you Aditi for trusting me with the recovery of your jewelry!  I do not take that trust lightly and will always do my absolute best to prove that.

   

Bay Area Ring Finders: Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590 

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Lost Wedding Band in Dublin, CA…FOUND!!!

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)
Contact:

Bay Area Ring Finders: Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590 

This week represents my first year anniversary of being a member of The Ring Finders Team.  I have been extremely proud of the efforts I have put in and the families that I have helped.  I have networked with some of the very best and most kind metal detectorists out there.  I have learned a ton about my machine(s) and myself.  It has been an absolute pleasure! So…when Shashi called seeking assistance in locating his wedding band, it was the perfect opportunity to cap off a very successful first year.

Shashi and his family had been knocking around a volleyball at Emerald Glen Park in Dublin, CA when he felt the ring slip off while striking the ball.  The most frustrating and helpless feeling has to be when you know exactly the when, where, and how you have lost an object, but just can not locate it despite monumental efforts.  This was the case for Shashi and his family who spend a goodly amount of time searching before they happened upon my information.  With the waning light and night looming, I requested he capture the GPS location with his phone and we agreed to meet the following day.

When we met, Shashi was able to put me literally on the exact spot his ring was lost and… we made the recovery!!!  Shashi was in disbelief that we had found it and I was overjoyed to cap off my first year with such a commanding triumph!

   

Bay Area Ring Finders: Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590

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Wedding Ring Lost at a Pacifica, Ca Beach…FOUND!!!

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)
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We made the recovery!!!  Just after 2:30pm on June 21st good friend and fellow metal detectorist Jes Muse contacted me.  She was feeling under the weather but had received a call in Pacifica, Ca.  She asked if I’d be willing to take it.

With local weather being over 100 degrees, I couldn’t think of a better opportunity to beat the heat and lend a helping hand.

I contacted a Mrs. Laurie LeRowe for additional information and to confirm my appointment, and 1 hour later we were introduced beach side.  Mrs. LeRowe provided some background information as well as some landmarks defining our search area and our search began.

Approximately 20 minutes into the search and only my second good target, we made the recovery!!!

There were many reasons leading to the success of this story and there is some credit due…Thank you to Marshal Smith of Portland, OR who put the family in contact with Jes Muse (Pacifica, CA).  Thank you to Jes Muse who always puts her best foot forward seeing to the needs of those who contact her.  This was not the first time she’s entrusted me with a search and recovery and I hope not the last.  Also to the American Mining Supply for the new machine I used for this recovery, thank you!  Last, but most important, Mrs. Laurie LeRowe who tirelessly sought out information and services and who coordinated with most of the folks mentioned above to make this search happen and successful…Great Job!

To Fernandes and Hilary, I am grateful to get the opportunity to be woven into your love story and wish you both endless happiness in the future.

We Made The Recovery!!!

For assistance finding your lost item contact Brendon Chapman at (925) 580-2590.  For best results call sooner than later!

          

Testimonial for Brendon Chapman:

Brendan’s willingness and promptness to drive more than an hour to the site, through traffic (valley folks heading to the beach for cooler temps in addition to afternoon traffic) his detective skills and tools, and most importantly his kindness and generosity of time and effort with no guarantees of success. The ring was lost the afternoon before. Thankfully we were able to bless him for his efforts, skills, time and gas. I enjoyed our visit as we waited for Hilary and Fernandes to arrive after their works, to thank him in person . I highly recommend Brendon, and the others who helped me find him…Ringfinders site, Marshall, And Jes.

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