How to find a lost ring North Myrtle Beach SC Tag | Page 3 of 3 | The Ring Finders

14K Men’s Wedding Band Lost in the Ocean for 2 months – Found and Returned North Myrtle Beach, SC

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

I had orginally gotten a call on August 11th, 2016 from Jeff H. stating he had lost his wedding band in the ocean which turned out to be right at mid-tide. He went on to say he had been in and out of the ocean over the course of a few hours and wasn’t really sure when, where or how deep he was when it slipped off his finger. I was just wrapping up another ring find with Jim Brouwer and was waiting for the couple to come back to the beach to get their ring when Jeff called. Jim agreed to go ahead and head to Jeff’s resort and start looking and I followed soon after.

When I got to the resort Jim already had a grid search going from the mid tide line seaward so I started a grid search at the current tide line and worked seaward. After a few hours, the tide turned, we weren’t having any luck and it was getting dark and neither one of us had our head lamps so we called it quits. I made at least 3 maybe 4 more trips out and searched north/south and east/west grids and felt really confident that I had covered the area as well as I could.

Fast forward to Hurricane Mathew, we didn’t get the sand movement on the beach that we (the guys that metal detect) had hoped for but we did have some. There’s 3 lost rings that I had gotten calls on this summer that I haven’t found yet so I thought this would be a good opportunity to give each one another shot. Jeff’s ring was number 2 on my list so I had planned on going out this week for one last crack at it. Oddly enough, Jeff text me Saturday evening (Oct 15th) asking “did the hurricane wash up my ring?” We text back and forth and I let him know I was going to give it one more shot. Shortly after we finished I contacted my son-in-law Donnie and asked if he was available to help find this ring sometime this week. We set it up to search at low tide Monday (Oct 17th). I got there maybe 10 minutes before Donnie and was working a grid from the middle of the resort north and from the wet sand to about chest deep in the ocean. When Donnie showed up I had him start his grid from the south side of the resort and work north to the middle, this way our machines wouldn’t be interfering with each other and we could cover the area quickly before the tide turned. I was digging a target in the wet sand within 10 minutes of Donnie starting his grid search when he walked up behind me and dropped a ring on the sand at my feet. I looked at it and couldn’t believe he’d found Jeff’s ring after 2 months in the ocean. We confirmed the inscription on the inside of the ring with what Jeff had told me and BINGO, we had a match!

I took a picture of the ring and text Jeff and then called him. In his own words he was speechless. I’ll never know whether the hurricane helped move enough sand or the extra low tide helped us get out to the deeper ocean but nonetheless Jeff has his ring back where it belongs. Along with the picture he sent me of him and his wife, Michelle, he also sent me the picture with their hands together titled “back together”. There’s nothing more I can add!

Donnie, thank you for all your help and making it possible to get this ring home.

Jeff and Michelle, thank you for trusting in me to help find your treasure. Best of luck to you both!!

Jim

  

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Sentimental Tri-color 10K Gold Ring Lost in the Intracoastal Waterway – Found and Returned Holden Beach NC.

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

I got a call from Heidi A. on Sunday, August 28th asking if I could possibly help find her toe ring that she lost while swimming with her sister-in-law Jennifer in the Intracoastal Waterway at Holden Beach NC. Heidi went on to say that the ring was specially made from another ring that had been given to her. She also said that she had noticed her toe ring was gone as she was leaving the water and that her foot had sunk up to her ankle in the mud. I got the area it was lost in, checked the tide table and saw I had a small window of opportunity for low tide and started the 45 minute drive.

When I arrived at the spot it was around 10pm and pitch black, on top of that there were broken clam and oyster shells all over the beach and with every step I was getting stuck in the mud. I searched for about an hour and a half from the high tide line to mid tide and called it a night. The next day I arrived a little before low tide and searched for an hour and a half knee deep in mud and my feet were cut up from the shells and still didn’t have any luck.

I decided to pick up a pair of hip waders and give it another try two days later. The hip waders worked great but I still wasn’t finding the ring. I talked to Heidi and she had mentioned that Jennifer was going to be back that weekend. I suggested that Jennifer meet me either Saturday or Sunday to give me a more exact area where the ring was lost.

Jennifer met me on Sunday during low tide, showed me the area she thought it was in but thought Heidi might have lost it in the mud and not the water. I had my White’s PI and decided to start my grid in the right corner and go straight out to knee deep water and work the grid from the shore to the water and back. First target was in the mud and was a fishing weight. I walked out to about upper calf depth and got a second target, as I’m separating the thick mud with my fingers in the scoop I hear the clank of something metal – BINGO!!! I washed the ring off and walked back up to Jennifer, who had stuck around and said “boy these conditions are horrible”. I’m pretty sure Jennifer thought I was all finished until I stuck my closed fist out to her and dropped Heidi’s ring in her hand. I love seeing the expressions on people’s faces when I give them back a lost treasure. Although it wasn’t Heidi, I think Jennifer did a really good job in showing her excitement for Heidi.

I took a picture of the ring and sent it and a text to Heidi saying “Surprise!”. I think it took Heidi less than 10 seconds to call me. She couldn’t believe it.

Unfortunately Heidi had to wait a few days before she got her ring back but she knew for sure it was on its way.

Thank you Jennifer for putting me in the right spot which was a tremendous help and a huge time saver.

Thank you Heidi for the very generous reward and the Starbucks gift card (I love Starbucks). Also thank you very much for trusting in me to find your lost treasure.

Jim

Heidi's Gold Toe Ring Heidi

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