how to find a ring in the water Tag | Page 4 of 8 | The Ring Finders

Lost ring and cell phone in Lake Fairview, Orlando, Florida…Found and returned to owner!!

  • from Sanford (Florida, United States)
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Kelly was volunteering her time assisting handicapped children on paddle boards at the Fairview Marina on June 27th. It was an absolutely beautiful day in the upper 80s, partly cloudy with a slight breeze blowing across the lake. Normally a little wind is OK but with first time paddle boarders, that breeze can put you in the reeds along the edge of the lake where certain critters like to hang out! Kelly and a couple other volunteers were doing their best to keep the kids together and being a bit preoccupied she somehow lost her phone off of her paddle board. She knew approximately where it fell into the water so she figured they would come back later and try and find it. Her first responsibility though was the kids so she continued working with them trying to show them how to use the paddle and how to stay clear of the reeds. One girl was being blown right into a small patch of reeds so Kelly jumped into the water and tried to steer the girl’s board with her hands and as she went to push the board off to the side she felt her large white gold and diamond ring slide off into the water. She was stunned and could not believe what had just happened. Just an hour earlier she lost her phone and now her ring?!! Out where she dropped her phone there was really no way for her to mark the spot but here where she dropped her ring there were green reeds sticking up out of the water and Kelly had the brilliant idea to tie a knot in one of the reeds to mark the « exact spot »! As they finished up with the paddle boarding event Kelly began to wonder how she would ever retrieve her phone and especially her precious ring! She asked if anyone at the marina had a waterproof metal detector. Someone suggested going on line and that led her to theringfinders.com. She called me right away and we met up later on that afternoon. (For these kinds of water searches I use two wet suits and scuba boots to protect me from the elements and other critters who lurk in the warm Florida waters! And I also take with me two gallons of fresh water to rinse off and a change of clean cloths for my ride home!).

First off Kelly wanted me to find her ring as it is one of her most prized possessions! She showed me the reed with the knot tied in the end so I set up my water proof metal detector and began to search the area. I always try and let people know that I will be digging any and all targets that sound even close to what a gold ring would sound like. Pull tabs, nickels, fishing weights, and pieces of aluminum are just some of the items that will sound just like a gold ring. Kelly was anxious to help so I gave her my pin pointer and let her go through each full scoop of debris I dumped into my floating sifter. It took fifteen minutes to finally get her ring and you should have heard her let out a shout of joy! And what a ring too!!

Next was her lost phone. I had four PVC poles to mark the 60 square foot area and after grid searching the inside I covered a 10 foot swath around the outside and NO phone! Kelly was quite sure of the area but when finding a precise spot on water…well it is not an easy thing to do. So I continued to expand the search area keeping to the chest deep water that Kelly described to me earlier. It took another 20 minutes to get that large signal I was looking for and I could feel it with my scuba boots. I did not want to use my scoop for fear of damaging the phone so I pinched it between my feet and brought it up to the light of day. And it was vibrating and lit up so I could see it was going to be just fine. Kelly was elated to have both her phone and her ring back again! It is not often I get to reunite someone with two lost items in one day but I was so thankful that God allowed me to have a role in Kellys life and to see that awesome smile on her beautiful face!

Maybe you have lost something and need my help?! Call or text me ASAP and let’s talk!

Mike McInroe….super thankful to be a member of theringfinders.com

Lost Gold « Love Conquers All » Ring at 4 Seasons Ko Olina Resort…FOUND!!!

  • from O‘ahu (Hawaii, United States)


This ring find began Friday 25 June when I got a call from the 4 Seasons Concierge Desk asking if I could reach out to one of their guests that lost a Gold Ring in the water. They gave me the contact number and I immediately called Anna from Miami Florida who was on vacation at Ko Olina Resort and was leaving in a few hours. She lost her ring earlier in the day and had over ten other guests trying to find her « Caritas Vincit Omnia » Gold Ring in waist deep water. With that many people searching someone probably stepped on the ring and buried it deeper in the sand. Anna sent me a beach picture and circled the general location the ring fell off her finger. Saturday morning at low tide I matched her picture up with the beach and drew my grid lines in the sand. I took the Nox in the water and started working North through the grid. On about the fifth leg I got a nice « 16 » tone and in one scoop there was Anna’s stunning ring in the scoop. I went back to my car to text Anna in Miami the good news and she had already texted me « Any news? » I sent her a picture of the ring and texted, « Is that good news? » She responded, « No way, Wow thank you so much » The ring arrived today in Miami and Anna sent me the picture above. Beautiful Girl, Smile and Ring. Aloha to Anna!

Lost Platinum Wedding Band at Ala Moana Beach Park…FOUND!!!

  • from O‘ahu (Hawaii, United States)


This ring find began when I got a text yesterday from Charles who lives in Honolulu. While enjoying the beach with his wife, Charles was sure when he swam halfway out to the buoys and back that his ring probably slipped off then. He wasn’t positive but that was the only place left to hunt. Since it’s 10-12 feet out towards the buoy I told Charlie it would require scuba gear and we agreed to meet the next morning at 6AM sharp at an extreme low tide. Charles arrived a little early and texted me that the parking near where we needed to be was packed. Construction vehicles and new lifeguard stalls were filled to capacity. This has never happened to me at Ala Moana Beach park this early. I parked about a block and a half away and told Charles I would just hump my gear down from there. When I got back to my car I realized the parking modifications included the stall I was in and I had to move. Charles saw a spot but someone grabbed it. I told him I’d cruise around and see what I could find. As I was coming back to our area a gentleman waved his hand that he was leaving. Low and behold the stall couldn’t be any closer to where I needed to be. Thank you Jesus! After donning my scuba gear Charles and I walked down to the beach and I had him draw lines in the sand to the extreme edges he thought he had been. When he was done I asked if he was sure and he asked if he could move the western grid line 10 feet farther. But of course! To do the entire grid he drew was going to take about an hour so I started on the west side and proceeded easterly. I had my orange grid line with me as the water was already starting to lose visibility. I went as far out as I could before it turns to muck and turned around towards the shore again. I got a great tone but it turned out to be a key. On the second leg I got another nice tone but the water was silted up and all I could do was grab handfuls of sand & rubble until I had the target in my hand. On the third grab I had the target in my hand and held it up to my mask to see what I had and it was a Platinum Ring. I surfaced in neck deep water which would be over my head on a high tide and told Charles I think I found your ring. After reading him the date he confirmed that was indeed his. Total time underwater 7 minutes. Had Charles not extended out his grid to the west I would have missed the ring by inches. Another Blessing! What a great ending to a day that started looking really bad. Aloha to Charles!

Lost ring at the beach, Ormond Beach, Fl….Found with metal detector!

  • from Sanford (Florida, United States)
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Brenda and a friend were driving south along the Atlantic coast of Florida heading into the Ormond Beach area and decided to stop at one of the sandy parking areas along the road. Here and there they could see wooden board walks going over the dunes making it easy access to the beach but it just so happened that where they pulled off there were no such walkways. Instead there was a small trail that led onto the beach which was OK as here there were less people. After walking onto the sand Brenda removed her special heirloom ring and put it into the bottom of her bag thinking she would get it later on. For 45 minutes they enjoyed the sun, sand and cool ocean breezes and then headed back to the car. Before getting into her car Brenda opened the back of her Ford Escape and pulled a towel from her bag to wipe the sand off of her feet. Two hours later she arrived home in Dade City and as she went through her bag and car she could not find her precious ring. Slight panic set in as it slowly dawned on her that just maybe her ring had come out somewhere at the stop along the beach.

After receiving and reading Brenda’s text I agreed that it would be a long shot..BUT…I have seen miracles happen and I tried to encourage Brenda to not give up HOPE! We texted back and forth and I asked a ton of questions to try and narrow down the exact search area. Four days later I decided to make the one hour drive. I had drawn up a map of the most likely places to search and my number one spot most resembled what Brenda described and as I pulled off the road I could see the area had received allot of rain and there was a large puddle of water all along the side of the road. My plan was to search the parking area first and then work my way down onto the beach. It was raining cats and dogs so I put on my rain coat and boots, grabbed my water proof ATMax metal detector and carefully made my way along the edge of the road, being careful of the cars passing close by doing at least 45 mph! My first pass netted a few pull tabs and two pennies and half way back I got a sweet 45 reading that no one in their right mind would pass up. Being as it was in the middle of the puddle I used my Garrett AT pin pointer and grabbed a handful of sand and slowly rinsed my hand in the water to reveal a glimmer of gold! I was stunned as I stared at Brenda’s gold, diamond and opal heirloom ring in my hand! A shout of joy left my lips as I looked towards heaven and thanked my God Almighty for allowing me the blessing and opportunity of finding Brenda’s lost ring. I immediately took a selfie and texted Brenda, who was in the middle of helping her sister move. I waited a couple of minutes…and nothing. So I called her…she answered…and I asked if she saw my text? She hadn’t and for the next few minutes she was so overwhelmed that she could not talk, so I shared the details with her dear sister. What a thrill it is to be a part of such a joyous moment!

Lost something recently…or years ago and need my help? Call or text…ASAP!

Mike McInroe…super fortunate to be a part of theringfinders.com

Lost ring in Logan Canyon: Found

Sadly, Ryleigh’s mother passed away when Ryleigh was in high school. Her mothers engagement ring, a beautiful gold solitaire with with a large diamond, was set aside for Ryleigh’s own future engagement. That day came last week, when Ryleigh and Wolf got engaged. A few days later, while on a family fishing excursion at Second Dam in Logan Canyon, the ring slipped of her finger and dropped into the water near the boardwalk. They searched for hours, scooping up mud and carefully spreading it out and searching for the ring. When that failed, they rented a metal detector and searched again. Then they found me on TheRingFinders.com. I made the two-hour drive to Cache Valley the next day, met Ryleigh, and started searching. My metal detectors are much better than the kind you can rent, and I’ve found hundreds of rings, so I know how to search in all types of areas. The water was icy, and the mud was deep. This is a popular fishing area, so I found over a dozen fish hooks, several lead weights, and other trash, but after about 30 minutes of searching, I found the ring deep in the mud! Maybe someday Ryleigh will be able to pass the ring on to her own daughter.

Long lost ring, Secrete Lake Park, Casselberry, Fl….Found 19 years later!

  • from Sanford (Florida, United States)
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Here is a text I received from Gissele on February 21st at 9:55pm.

« Hi Mike, I found your info on theringfinders.com. This is a complete long shot but I lost my promise ring at Secrete Lake Park in Casselberry. Back then there was a little Karate studio in the back of the park. I left my son while he was practicing and took my young daughter to go to the playground. We were crossing through the field/baseball field when my ring slipped off my finger and I can only describe it as being swallowed up by the grass. It is not expensive and has a small diamond mounted on it. I mean I lost this years ago….like in 2002! I just recently moved away, to El Paso, Texas, but have always wondered about my ring. I even tried using a metal detector and was not able to find anything. Thank you for your help. Gissele »

I answered her email right away and agreed whole heartedly that it would be a long shot but not totally impossible. I asked allot of questions like, What was the ring made of? Was it a small, medium or thick band? Were there any markings on the inside?, etc. I then sent Gissele an aerial screen shot of the baseball field and asked her to put a line where she walked and an X over the area where she lost her ring. She assured me that her ring was made of 14k gold and was a thin band. The fact that it was a smaller ring gave me hope that it was very likely still there, in the ground, waiting to be found.

You see most people who metal detect parks and school yards rarely dig those low numbers. Many times the smaller rings will sound and read the same as a pull tab or even lower, like that of a small piece of aluminum which we call « can slaw ». (Can slaw are the small pieces of aluminum that get spread all over as a result of a lawn mower hitting a can and shredding it into small pieces).

Armed with that encouraging information I headed to the park and set out my corner flags and began my tight grid search. For 3 hours I dug everything that sounded close to what a small gold ring would sound like. Rain drove me to take shelter for 20 minutes and then I continued my search. It was getting on to sunset and I was thinking of calling it a night when all of a sudden the complex turned on all the lights and it was like daylight again. With renewed energy I decided to give it another hour and moved my flags closer towards 3rd base and the short stop area. I was using my Garrett ATMax metal detector in the ZERO MODE and had blocked out all signals from 65 and up and had set my IRON DISCRIMINATION to ignore anything below 25. My final signal registered 47 on my display and showed the target to be four inches deep. I thought, Wow, that sounds really good and I carefully dug a neat plug. It was a wet muddy clump of dirt and I used my pin pointer to narrow down the targets hiding place. As the ring revealed itself I was in a great position, on my knees, to thank God for helping me to uncover Gissele’s precious lost promise ring!! The thrill, the joy and relief of being able to have actually found her ring was something that I will never forget!

I sent Gissele a quick text and explained that I had gotten out to do a search and had found a few things. Then I waited a few minutes and then sent her two photos!! Oh, and did I mention that Gissele now lives in El Paso, Texas and lost her ring 19 years ago?!!!

Have you lost something recently or maybe years ago and need my help? Call, text or email me ASAP!!
Mike McInroe….very proud member of theringfinders.com

Lost ring in the water, Winter Park, Fl…Found and Returned to Owner!

  • from Sanford (Florida, United States)
Contact:

Mike McInroe…Ring Finder Specialist…Call Anytime, ASAP…321-363-6029

Ashley and her fiance were enjoying a beautiful New Years day at the Meads Botanical Garden in Winter Park, Florida sitting on a concrete wall along a very picturesque stream. The sun filtered through the Cyprus trees and the breeze was cool and refreshing. The day and the setting were perfect for what Ashley’s fiance had in mind. After dating for nearly 9 years he thought it was about time he asked the « Big Question » and he had it all planned out. And while sitting on the wall along the edge of the stream with their feet hanging over the water, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the small box which contained a very special engagement ring. As he opened the box he was looking into Ashley’s eyes, hoping to catch her by surprise and all of a sudden he felt something bounce off of his leg and then he heard something fall into the water. Was it an acorn or something from above he thought? One look at the little box he was holding up to Ashley told him the horrible truth! Her engagement ring was not in it’s place and had somehow popped out when he opened it up. They were both dumbfounded and could not believe what had just happened and they desperately tried to figure out what to do next. Should they wade into the cold flowing stream and try to find it? Ashley was devastated and the thought occurred to her to call her father, Mr David, and ask him for advise. And wisely he told them not to try looking for it on their own for fear of pushing the ring further down into the sand and silt. Mr David promptly went on line to look for help and typed « How to find jewelry underwater » and that led him to theringfinders.com web site. He had his dear wife Mrs Debbie give me a call and we made plans to meet up the next morning at the Mead Garden entrance.

When planning for such a search I try and imagine what all I will need, weather it may be a wading search where I use a water proof metal detector and a long handled scoop along with a floating sifter or maybe I need to bring all my scuba gear including a mask and tank and a hose with weight belt and weights, etc. Sometimes a metal detector works well and other times I can only use a water proof pin pointer because of the underwater conditions like debris and thick aquatic vegetation.

The following morning we made our way down to the small stream and I was able to measure the depth and determine that I would need to suit up and set up my tank and hose. I was able to mark the wall to get an idea where to begin looking but I was not prepared for how cold the water turned out to be. Having lived in Florida for the past 30 years my blood has thinned out and this ol body likes to be warm. As I sunk down to the bottom and made my way along the wall I could not believe all the sticks and debris that had gathered in the exact area where I needed to search. I tried using my hand held Pulse Dive, 6 inch pin pointer but had trouble getting in and around all the sticks and branches. So I surfaced and changed to my Garrett Pro Pointer AT, which most detectorists refer to as the « Garrett Carrot » and that proved to be exactly what I needed. On each signal I would grab a handful of leaves and sand and debris and sift through it till I was left with the target. I found a few junk items and after 15 minutes of this grab and sift I grabbed my last handful and was a bit confused to see a small piece of white plastic sticking out between my fingers. As I shook away the silt I caught a glimpse of something round and shiney and low and behold there was Ashley’s brand new engagement ring with the little white tag still on it. You should have heard them all holler and yell when I came up out of the water holding that little beauty!

Lost something recently or back awhile ago and want my help? Call, text or email me ASAP….anytime!

Mike McInroe…ready to dive and search for you…whatever it takes!

Lost ring in the bushes, New Smyrna Beach, Fl…Found and Returned to Owner!

  • from Sanford (Florida, United States)
Contact:


Mike McInroe…Ring Finder and Metal Detector Specialist…Call Anytime, ASAP…321-363-6029

Rocco had spent his Sunday afternoon cleaning up their back patio area using his pressure washer to wash away the Florida mold and dirt. It was a wet and soapy job and his large gold and diamond ring felt a little loose on his pinky finger but he wanted to finish up so he headed to the dumpster to throw out an old rusty grill. The dumpster lids were both closed so Roccco grabbed one of the lids and with force, threw it open and that very motion plus the wetness from the pressure washing, caused his ring to go flying. He actually caught a glimpse of the ring as it went up into the air but he was not sure as to which direction it went. Frantically he searched all around the outside of the dumpster, thinking surely it landed either inside the fenced area or just over the fence and into the grass. For a good hour he searched high and low but was unable to locate his large gold and diamond ring. So his next thought was that maybe it fell down into the dumpster itself and looking thru other people’s garbage is never fun but Rocco knew he needed to do it so he went thru what he could but still–NO RING!

Frustration and then mild panic began to set in and Rocco thought of looking for someone to help him and that led him to search « Lost Jewelry Recovery » on his phone and theringfinders.com web site came up and one of my recent recovery stories. Rocco could not believe that there actually were people out there that help find lost rings. It was late Sunday afternoon when Rocco called me and we met an hour and a half later and I began my search. I have had some tough and challenging searches in the past 11 years and this one comes in right close to the top! It was dark, the no-see-ums were biting and I was looking thru piles of garbage. I detected all around the dumpster and out at least 30 feet past the wooden fence area thinking it flew allot further than first thought. Next was the garbage in and around the dumpster. I emptied every bag thinking that just maybe his ring fell into the top of one of the bags but still–NO RING!

After looking in almost every possible place his ring could have gone…there was one area in the front of the dumpster that I figured I needed to search. It was way to thick to get my metal detector to be of any use so I opted to use one of my really strong flashlights. I was hoping that just maybe I could get a glimpse of gold or a sparkle from the diamonds and sure enough as I crawled on my hands and knees under the thick bush I caught a tiny glimmer of reflective light. My pulse quickened as I strained to make out what I was looking at. I let out a holler and went to get Rocco to give him the GREAT NEWS!

How thankful I am that God allowed me to be a help and a blessing to Rocco and for showing me where his ring was hiding. Every search is a challenge and some are much harder that others but either way I do my very best to find what has been lost.

How can I help you? Call, text or email me ASAP! Anytime!

Mike McInroe…blessed to be a member of theringfinders.com

Lost Wedding Ring – Pensacola, FL – FOUND!!!

  • from Orange Beach (Alabama, United States)

So apparently Pine straw is out there trying to steal some rings so be careful. 😃. A few days ago I received a call from Bill. Actually backing up, Shelly, Bill’s wife had heard about me from a friend and messaged me through Facebook. After a quick reply, she had Bill call me. Bill described that he had been working in the yard putting out some pine straw when he looked down and saw that his ring was missing. Bill had been wearing that ring for the last 38 years so I was willing to bet that he noticed it was gone quicker than most people would have. When I told him how I could help he decided he wanted me to come try even though he wasn’t 100% sure that it was in the yard. I was pretty sure that I could find it and I was determined to try. What Bill didn’t realize is that when I saw the address I noticed that he lived in the neighborhood next to mine. If there is one thing I like even more than helping people find a ring, it’s helping a neighbor find their ring. When I got there, I switched to the pinpointer coil so that I could get down between the bushes and Bill went back inside to let me concentrate. He didn’t have to wait long and was beside himself when I knocked on his door and told him his ring was perched on my detector by the tree (Covid safe 😷👍). He was even more surprised when he went to talk about a reward and I explained that I literally could have cut through the neighborhood and walked there. I wouldn’t take anything from my neighbor and new friend. I’m so happy that I could help!  Merry Christmas to you both Bill and Shelly!  God bless!

Lost Alabama Class Ring – FOUND!!!

  • from Orange Beach (Alabama, United States)

One night last week I got a call from a very nice gentleman that needed some help. He had been out putting in pine straw and when he got done he noticed that his class ring wasn’t on his hand. This was really bad because he’d had this ring on his finger since 1968 when he graduated from the University of Alabama. He immediately told his wife and she put out the call for help. Someone eventually told her about what I do and gave her my phone number. When Mr. Spivey called he asked if I was the Ringmaster, I was tempted to say yes but I didn’t want to jinx myself. 😃 He was very nice and explained what happened and I told him how I thought I could help. We agreed that I would come early the next morning and I asked him to text me the address. He explained that he didn’t have all of that techy stuff and offered to give me the address and directions. I told him the address would be great but he very thoroughly proceeded to give me the directions. I was thrilled to hear someone describe exactly how to get to their home and go over each part of the route that they felt was important to describe the way to their home. I thought about how technology had changed a lot of that but I thoroughly enjoyed hearing him describe that route he had been so many times. 👍 When I got to the house in the morning I was met in the driveway by a pretty Lab. I was pretty sure that she was friendly but I gave a quick call to the number I had. Mrs. Spivey assured me that “Penny” was a sweetheart and I opened my door to lots of tail wagging and some curious sniffs. By that time, Mrs Spivey had come out and walked me out to the back so I could see all of the fresh pine straw. They weren’t 100% sure that it was in the yard but it seemed like the most logical place so I started my search. Mrs Spivey went back inside and instructed me to knock if I needed anything. I was using a small sharpshooter coil so I was able to go through everything and stick it down between all of the shrubs as well. As Murphy’s law would state, I was at the very last bush when I got a beautiful, very obvious gold tone. I pulled back the leaves and parted the fresh pine straw to see a gorgeous, well loved, solid gold ring with a Crimson stone on top. I thought for just a second about how much it had been a part of Mr. and Mrs Spivey’s lives and then I went to knock on the door. She came out and asked if I needed anything and finally noticed the ring when I pointed to it on my detector. As you can imagine, she was thrilled and even got a bit choked up when she talked about getting it back to her husband. I am so glad I got to make sure that it wasn’t the end of the journey for your family heirloom. Merry Christmas to you both.