#Lewiston Maine Metal Detector Rental And Service Tag | The Ring Finders

Three Gold Rings, Engagement, Wedding, Lost In The Kennebunk, Maine Snow, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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Just before 5:00pm, Friday January 30th, I received the following message , from Maggie

“Hey, are you close to Kennebunk, Maine ? We have an individual who lost three rings in the snow after tossing a ball for the dog. What is the cost to have them searched for?”

I replied “Hi So sorry to hear this. I do not charge for my Emergency Metal Detecting Services or my Time. I do however have a Transportation Fee of $25.00 to Kennebunk and that’s it.”

Maggie replied “When can you come? 80 York St”

I replied “Well, it would be dark before I can get to Kennebunk Maine tonight. I need good lighting, to find a ring in the snow. I could be there first thing in the morning, 7:00am, 8:00am or whatever works for you.”

We agreed that I would arrive at their location, bright and early, at 7:00am, as the sun was coming up. Maggie then explained the location was actually The Mooring , a Memory Care Facility and also a Respite Center, just off of Rt 1, in Kennebunk , Maine and not far from the Wells Maine town line. Mary is a caregiver , to the elderly, a very demanding job. Mary is staying at the Respite Center, for a short time and had been playing with a Labrador puppy named Millie. They were playing just outside the door, on the patio. Mary had been throwing a ball, into the snow and Millie had been retrieving the ball, bringing the ball back to Mary and repeating the playful game over and over. At some point during the playful game, Mary noticed her three rings were missing. The rings were a Yellow Gold Engagement Ring, a Yellow Gold Wedding Ring and a White Gold Ring, which was a gift, from her husband. All three rings had Diamonds in them and Mary was just beside herself, that the rings were no longer on her finger. Maggie, a staff member at The Mooring, told me that she would be working from 7:00am to 7:00pm, the next day and she would let me into the secure facility, to search for the rings.
So, Saturday morning , I left my home, in Saco, Maine, in the pre dawn hours, at 6:30am. I arrived right at 7:00am. Maggie was in the vestibule waiting for me and took me inside to meet Mary. Mary repeated the story that had been told to me, by Maggie and we then went outside, to the patio area. Mary showed me where she had been standing, on the patio, while throwing the ball. She also pointed in the direction that she had been throwing the ball. The most likely place the rings would be were just on the other side of a table and chairs, on the patio. I was then told that Mary and others, including staff had searched the area already but hadn’t been able to find any of the three rings. I could see the area had been disturbed quite a bit and was hoping the rings hadn’t been pushed too far down, into the snow or even moved out of the area. After shoveling quite a bit, a few days earlier, for a cell phone, I really wasn’t looking forward to shoveling more snow. But, I had brought my shovel, just in case.
I started the search by moving a few chairs out of the way and pushing the table slightly back, from the deep snow bank. I then started searching the snow, on the patio itself and nothing was found, until a minute into the search, when I received my first target. It was not the ring, but something under the patio. I then received a loud repeating target , near the base of the snowbank. It was definitely a non ferrous target and was ringing up a solid 41, on the VDI screen. As I moved the snow aside, with my hand, I saw the outline of a Yellow Gold Ring. WOW, only a minute or so and the first ring had been found. I passed the ring, to a now emotional Mary, who had some happy tear, in the corner of her eyes. Mary identified the ring, as her wedding ring. Well, that was easy enough and I knew the other rings had to be very close by. Another minute or two and I received another solid low tone non ferrous target, reading 25 on the VDI screen. This target was in the side of the snowbank and as I was brushing the snow away, a ring fell out of the snowbank. I reached down, picked it up and it was Mary’s Yellow Gold Engagement Ring. I passed it to Maggie and I could see Mary, on the patio, with happy tears still flowing. Now just one more ring. The White Gold Ring that was a gift from her husband. Almost immediately, I received a very low tone, non ferrous, reading 15 on the VDI screen. This just had to be the White Gold Ring and it was located just slightly higher, in the snowbank, than the Engagement Ring and less than a foot away. As I removed snow, with my hand, I saw the white band of the ring, sticking out of the snowbank. YES, SUCCESS!!! All three rings were now back on Mary’s finger and she was just so happy to have them back. Mary told me she hadn’t slept at all, last night because her precious rings were gone. Her husband was coming to visit her at 8:00am and she hadn’t called and told him that she had lost the rings. Now she had them back, she had no more worries. It wasn’t even 7:30am and she was just so relieved the rings had been found, prior to her husband’s arrival.
We all went back inside, as it was very cold. When I had arrived, the air temperature was a -3 degrees, without the wind chill. As we were talking and warming up, Maggie told me that she has followed my stories for years and knew who to contact, as soon as Mary told her about her lost rings. As we were all celebrating and smiling I took a photo of Maggie holding the three rings. Mary had asked me not to include any photos of her, in the story, like many other of my clients have in the past. Mary told me she is just not a social media person and I always honor their wish, not to have there photo included. Mary did say I could use the photo of her rings, back on her finger and I could sense a big change in her demeanor. Mary was now smiling, happy and most of all, she couldn’t wait to see her husband, just a half hour from now. What a beautiful moment seeing Mary smiling, awaiting to see her beloved husband, with the precious and sentimental rings, back on her finger, where they belong. I truly have the best job, in the world.🤗❤️🙏

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Engagement Ring Lost In The Newmarket, New Hampshire Snow Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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I received the following message, at 7:30am, Monday January 27th,

« Hello, my name is Marissa B****. I’m located in Newmarket, New Hampshire . Um, I was just calling, um, to see if someone could come out and help me potentially very quickly. Um, I was getting snow off my car and my ring fell off my finger and it’s somewhere in the snow and I’ve just been searching for it and I didn’t know if someone just could come and help me. I live in an apartment building and they’re gonna come plow soon. Um, so I was just wondering if you could help me out, my number is 603-***_****. Thank you very much. »

I immediately called Marissa back and I could tell she was upset by her cracking voice and what sounded like sobbing. Marissa explained that as she was cleaning her vehicle off, her White Gold and Yellow Diamond Engagement Ring had come off and landed in the snow. Marissa and her fiance’ had searched the snow where the ring had fallen but they couldn’t find it. To add even more pressure, the snowplows, that plow the large apartment complex, were just a few buildings away and would be at her building, within two hours. She asked if I could come down there, ASAP, and search. Without hesitation I told Marissa, I would load my equipment up and be there as soon as I could. I also asked her to not have the plows, plow where her car was parked, until I could get there. I knew Newmarket, was just a little SW of Portsmouth New Hampshire and was an hour away, from our home in Saco, Maine, on a good day. This morning the roads were still slick, with black ice and the plows were still out. Hopefully, The Maine Turnpike would be all clear. Marissa agreed to talk with the plow operators, should they arrive, before I do.
Once I was on the road, I called a still emotional Marissa and told her I was already on the Maine Turnpike and gave her an ETA. As soon as I told her that, I could hear a little relief, in her voice . Just knowing someone was on their way to help her, calmed her down. As Cheryl and I made our way down to New Hampshire, the traffic was flowing smoothly, although a little slower, than normal. We arrived at her apartment complex in approximately 1 1/4 hours, about 15 minutes slower, than usual. Once we got out of the vehicle, a cold stiff wind hit us. Temperature at the arrival time was 10 degrees with a feel like wind chill temperature of -2 degrees, brrrrr🥶🥶🥶
We were met by Marissa and she showed me where her car was parked, when her engagement ring came off. It was a very small area and I could see all the disturbed snow, where Marissa and her fiance’ had been searching, without any luck. After throwing a gold test ring, in the snow and showing Marissa how the metal detector works, I got down to business. I performed an east/west grid search. A few targets were heard but I knew they weren’t the engagement ring. I then searched the area again, this time in a north/South grid pattern. Still no engagement ring was found. I had only been searching for 10 minutes and already had searched the very small area, twice, with no luck. I then expanded the search, to just over the piles of snow and within a few minutes, I received the tone I was listening for. A nice low tone, reading 15-16 on the detectors VDI screen. A classic gold target, for a small ring. I grabbed my pinpointer and located the target, in the snow. Once located , I could see the outline of a ring, with some stones but couldn’t make out the color of the stone. I wanted to surprise Marissa so without telling her I had found the ring, I asked her about the color of the stone and she replied “The diamond, yellow”. I then reached down, picked up the ring, from the snow and asked, “Is this it?’ As Marissa walked towards me I could see her eyes welling up and she then thanked me, as she turned away from the camera. Marissa then gave me a hug and I could see the happy tears. What a great feeling it is to be able to help people like Marissa. She was possibly an hour away from having her diamond plowed and lost forever or even damaged, beyond repair. As the weather was brutally cold, Marissa then went back inside her apartment and Cheryl and I quickly jumped back in our vehicle and turned the heat up.
Being retired came into play today because if I was still working, a regular job, , I would not have been able to leave immediately and who knows what might have happened, with the ring. As I always preach, time is of the essence and this was a situation that proves that’s saying. So Cheryl and I went hunting for a HOT Dunkin” coffee for her, for our drive home. Once she got a little coffee in her, Cheryl became a happy camper. I was a happy camper, as soon as I saw Mariss’s engagement ring, in the snow. Another ring, back on the owners finger and I truly have the best job, in the world.❤️🙏

 

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Three Property Pins, Markers, Lost In York, Maine, Found In The Snow, With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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I was contacted by Deanna, concerning finding some long lost property pins/markers, on her York, Maine property. Her neighbors had recently sold their home and Deanna would just like to find the pins, dividing the properties. Deanna has lived at her current home for 15 years and has the most recent survey prints, from just before she bought her home, 15 years earlier. Deanna told me that she herself had pulled one of the pins, out of the ground, because it was in the way of her mowing. She now regrets that decision. There are two pins, in particular, Deanna would like us to find. The first, must find pin, is along the road and approximately 380’, from a property pin, in the front of her house, next to a fence. Pin #1 isn’t vital to find, but would make this job much easier. The pin is no longer visible, so we will need to find this pin #1, in a very confined corner, then measure 380’, down the road and search for pin #2, that Deanna wants us to find. If and when we find Pin #2, we will need to measure approximately 102 feet, out into the field, and find the Pin #3, that needs to be found, for Deanna. Deanna would also like to find a 4th pin, but it wasn’t as important as pins #2 & 3. For a job this big, area wise and measurement wise, I called in Gary Hill, to assist. Gary was happy to go with me and I set a date and time with Deanna.

This morning, December 11th, 2025, Gary and I headed to York, Maine. We arrived at just before 8:00am and was promptly met by Deanna. She showed us the area and then had to head into work. Gary and I immediately got to work and went to find Pin #1, in the front of the house, along the fence. This pin was found within 1 minute and we now had a property pin, to measure from and down the road, 380’, to Property Pin #2. This is one of the must find pins, that Deanna wanted us to find. So, Gary and I retrieved the 300’ tape measure and looped it around Property Pin #1. I then walked it down the road 300’ and marked it, at that point. Gary brought the tape up to the 300’ mark and we measured out another 80’. We should now be able to locate Pin #2, in the vicinity. Using a tape measure isn’t as accurate as GPS, now used by surveyors but it will put us very close, to within a foot or so. Gary and I started searching and our first target looked promising. A definite piece of iron, ringing up in the ferrous range. As we dug it, it turned out to be a large spike, from a long, long time ago. As we continued the search, our second target was also a ferrous target and after digging it, we had found what we were looking for. Property pin #2, had been found. Deanna had given us some orange stakes, to place next to the property pins. This pin was a pipe, as was Pin #1 and we placed the orange stake, right into the pipe. This Pin #2 was within a foot of where the 380’ measurement came to. I love it when it works out like this. Now on to Property Pin #3. A must find, for Deanna. Gary and I then measured approximately 102’, into the field and Gary noticed an iron rebar rod, sticking out of the ground, at just about the area, we would be searching in. We dug around the rebar and saw that the rebar had actually been placed, inside a pipe, like the one we had just found, up near the road. This was to easy, so we searched the area, for anymore property pins, but found absolutely nothing. Fantastic!!! Property Pins #1,2 and 3 had been found. Now let’s see if Pin #4, is findable. Deanna had told me that she thought Pin #4 may be in amongst some trees. Only one way to find out, Gary and I measured the 85’ and because it is being measured, at an angle and not a straight line, from Pin #3, we had a slightly larger area, to search. Some of the area, as you got close to the trees, were difficult to search, because the hay was fairly tall and we couldn’t swing the metal detector, very well. This area also has what looks like some sort of small path, for farm equipment or ATV’s. The path area was frozen and difficult to dig. The area also was producing a lot and I mean, a lot of large ferrous targets. We were digging up large iron pieces of old farm equipment. Could these pieces of iron, be masking out, the much smaller iron Property Pin? We did find a large iron Pin but we are not sure if it is the Property Pin. It was found 4’, short of where it should have been found. Gary and I think it may have been part of a fence, at one time. We had been finding fence wire in the area, so kind of makes sense. We decided to call it a day, due to the difficult circumstances and return, in the spring, once the ground thaws, on the path and the hay will be flattened, from this winters snow. I am sure we will find Pin #4, in the spring. I sent Deanna a message about finding 3 of the four Property Pins and two of the pins, were the ones, she really wanted, to have us find. Gary and I were happy to have found the three and were really happy to be getting out of the brutal windy conditions. We now have something to look forward to, this sprig and Deanna is extremely happy to finally know where the Property Pins are.
As a side note, I am not a licensed surveyor. I am just a metal detectorist trying to help others out. I informed Deanna and all my clients that I may find their property pin but I cannot guarantee that the pin is in the correct location. I have no way of knowing if the pin has actually been moved, in the past, or not. Only a licensed surveyor can guarantee the pins are in the correct spot.
Another adventure with property pins and this was a first for Gary and I. We searched fo, the pins, in the snow. We had never done that before and we were actually surprised at how much fun it was. Ok, not that much fun! Thankfully, not all of the ground was frozen and the snow was only an inch or two deep. This up coming spring, Gary and I will head back to York and hopefully find Property Pin #4. Who doesn’t love helping others out. Gary and I are happy, Deanna is happy. A win, win for everyone and smiles all around. We have the best job in the world😀❤️🙏

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Platinum Class Ring Lost In Snow, Found With A Metal Detector In South Portland, Maine

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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On Tuesday evening I received a phone call, from Hailey and I could hear the anguish, in her voice. Approximately an hour earlier, at 9:00pm, Hailey lost her 2023 Oak Hill High School class ring. Hailey is a second year student at Southern Maine Community College (SMCC), in South Portland, Maine and was sledding, on a very small hill, on campus. Hailey and her friends didn’t have anything to slide with, so they improvised some pizza boxes, into sleds. With a snowy winter storm still raging on, Hailey was enjoying the fun of sliding down the hill, with her friends. On her third or fourth trip down the hill, Hailey noticed her 2023 Platinum class ring was no longer on her finger. Hailey and her friends search the snowy hillside for an hour, without finding the ring. At this point, one of her friends suggested Hailey call The Ring Finders of Maine. I told Hailey that I could absolutely search for her ring, but not until the next morning. Because the snow storm was still fairly strong and raging on, I wasn’t going to drive out there, until the storm stopped.

The next morning I arrived at SMCC and called Hailey. Hailey told me she would be right down. I saw a father and his two young children, sledding on the hill and asked them if they had found a ring. They had not. So while waiting for Hailey, I gave the children a demonstration, on how a metal detector works. They had shown an interest, when they saw my metal detector and since I like to set up and calibrate my detector, before I search, it was a win, win. The children loved how my detector, could find metal, under the snow. As I was finishing the demonstration, Hailey arrived, from her dorm room. Hailey then showed me the area they had been sledding and it was a very small area. I was able to search the area in just 10 minutes or so. Since I had searched just half of the hill area, she had been sledding down, I told Hailey, I would expand the search area, to the other half of the hill, on the chance it flew off her finger to that area. I would at the same time, research the area, I had just covered, At the bottom of the hill, there is a parking lot and some snow had been plowed , onto the base of the hill. I asked Hailey if the snowbanks, at the bottom of the hill, had been there, the previous evening. She replied they had not. I was concerned that her class ring may have been plowed into the now fairly frozen snowbank. Hailey had to go back to her dorm room for a few minutes and as she left, I started my grid search, at the top of hill and worked my way down, towards the snowbank and parking lot. I was unable to locate the ring, on the hill. As I stood at the base of the hill, looking at the snowbank, I knew there was no way I would find the ring, deep inside the frozen snowbank. From the parking lot, I  searched the hard packed snow, leading up to the snowbank. The ring was not in the parking lot. I decided to search the snowbank as best as I could, from the parking lot side first. Almost immediately, I received a very faint low tone, reading 05, on my VDI screen and approximately 6-7 inches in the snow. The reading told me that it was definitely a low conducting, non ferrous metal, the same as Platinum. Unfortunately there are many non ferrous trash signals that could ring up in that range, including different foils. It wasn’t a great sounding target but I needed to perform due diligence and check the target out. I removed some snow and ice and then I saw a reddish or purplish colored stone, in a silver colored setting. The ring has been found. I took a few photos, of the ring, as I first saw it. I then called Hailey and as the phone was ringing, Hailey appears at the top of the hill. I asked if she could come down, to the bottom of the hill, so I could ask  her some more questions. When she made it to the bottom, I told her to look in the dug hole, in the snow and asked her “ Does that look familiar?” As Hailey looked into the hole and saw her class ring she says, “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. Thank you” and picks the ring up, placing it back on her finger. Hailey kept thanking me and seeing just how much this ring means to her put a big smile on my face. I then told Hailey that she shouldn’t be wearing her rings, while sledding. Hailey told me she would never wear them again, while sledding. A lesson learned for a young college student, smiles all around and another ring back on the finger. I have the best job, in the world.😀❤️🙏

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Titanium Wedding Ring Lost In Old Orchard Beach Maine, Found Visually, While Searching With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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I received a call from Dave, just after noon on Monday, November 24th. Dave lost his wedding ring, of 15 years, while moving a vehicle. Dave works at a local auto dealer and repair shop and has asked not to mention the establishment or use his photo, in the story. I will absolutely follow his wish. Anyways, Dave had shook his hand, approximately an hour before calling me, as he was getting into a vehicle, he had to move, in the lot. When he shook his hand, his wedding ring went rolling across the lot and was headed towards an embankment of leaves and rocks, leading down, to a small brook. Dave said the ring was rolling very slowly and thought the leaves and rocks would stop the ring, as soon as it reached the end of the pavement. So, as the ring slowly rolled towards the leaves, Dave moved the vehicle and would come back to retrieve the wedding ring, in just a minute or so. Once Dave came back for his ring, he couldn’t find it. He visually searched the leaves and rocks, along the parking lots edge. Dave could not find the ring. Dave also used an inexpensive metal detector, to search the area. Again no ring was found. This is when Dave called me and asked for help. I told Dave I would be right there in approximately 5 minutes, as I live near Saco Main Street less than two miles, from where the ring was lost.

Once I arrived, Dave showed me where he was, when the ring came off his finger and rolled towards the embankment. Dave told me he actually saw the ring rolling and was certain it would be along the edge of parking lot, in an area just 25-30 feet in length. I looked at the area and thought the ring should be right there, as it was slowly rolling and not flying off his finger. I started the detector up and took out a gold test ring and showed Dave how my detector sounds and works. Dave thought his ring was either Tungsten or Titanium but couldn’t remember. Not a problem, the detector will find it, if it is made of metal. Once the detector was set up and running, I worked my way from the east end of the parking area, to the western end of the lot. Nothing found but small pieces of foil were found. I then took a step down the embankment and headed back to the east side of the lot. Again, nothing but trash. I repeated these steps, all the way to the bottom of the embankment. I even searched the brook, at the bottom and the wedding ring still had not been found. Dave was in disbelief and flabbergasted, as was I. I then started searching the area again, only this time I was searching north and south, up and down the embankment , from the parking lot to the brook, up to the lot, back to the brook. Still nothing and at this point, I told Dave that I would switch from my 11” coil, to my 8” sniper coil. I was thinking the ring may have gotten into a crevice and the smaller coil would get into the crevice, easier than the 11” coil. I also asked Dave if he had possibly run the ring over, moving the car and moving the ring, out of the area. No way possible, I was told . The ring was almost to the embankment when he last saw it. No way the wedding ring was near the moving and or parked cars. I then asked Dave if he had looked under the parked cars and he told me that he hadn’t. I asked if he had a flashlight and if he could search under the parked cars, while I performed my third search of the embankment and brook.As I was once again searching, Dave searched under the parked cars, with the flashlight, without finding the ring. I also struck out, for the third time, on the embankment. As I stood talking with Dave, we just couldn’t comprehend how a ring rolling slowly towards the embankment, could just disappear. I told Dave that it just had to be under one of the parked cars and that the cars should be moved, while I once again, for the fourth time, search the embankment. I was also concerned that if the vehicles weren’t searched underneath and moved, the ring may be hit, the next time someone just got in the vehicle and drove off. Moving the vehicles now, in a more controlled environment would be much better. As I was searching, the vehicles were moved and the ring still wasn’t found. When I finished the fourth search, I told Dave that I would return, in the morning, with a leaf blower and blow all the leaves, from the area. But first I wanted to try a little closer to the road, although I did’t think it would have rolled that far, I had to do my due diligence and search it. Still nothing was found and as I was walking back, I heard Dave say, “Oh my God, it’s right here.” As I looked over towards him he reached down and picked up his wedding ring. He found it right where one of the cars had been parked but Dave didn’t see the ring, with the flashlight. Dave also missed seeing it, once the vehicles had been moved. It just blended in with asphalt, pine needles, etc.. It appears that the ring had done a complete 180 boomerang, from the last time Dave had seen the ring. Did the ring hit a pebble of something else and turn around? We will never know. What I do know is that after searching the embankment four times, I just knew the ring wasn’t there. It just had to be under one of the parked cars and once the vehicles were moved, there it was. So, another smile on the face and another ring, back on the finger. I have the best job, in the world.😀❤️🙏

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Newlywed’s Gold Wedding Ring Lost In The Portland Maine Hay, Found Visually, While Searching With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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Sunday morning, November 23rd, I received a phone call, from Chase. Chase told me that 2 days previously, on Friday, he noticed his wedding ring was missing. I asked him where he lost it and Chase said it could possibly be in two different places. The most likely area was at a new home construction, in Portland, Maine or inside a buying being totally rehabbed, also in Portland. The new home construction was where Chase thought his wedding ring was lost. He had been throwing down hay, on the new lawn and at one point, he actually felt his wedding ring slipping off and he caught it, before the ring actually left his finger. When he finished with the lawn, he drove over to the building being rehabbed and worked there for the next two hours, before he noticed his wedding ring was no longer on his finger. Chase searched the building he was currently working in but could not find the ring. He had been tearing down the walls, to the studs and throwing the debris, into a dumpster. Chase was really hoping the ring wasn’t in the dumpster, full of demo. He remembered the ring almost coming off, at the new construction and headed back there, visually searching the hay, he had thrown down. Unfortunately this search and a subsequent search, the next day resulted in disappointment. The wedding ring was not found. I told Chase I could absolutely search the hay, at the new construction site but the indoor rehab site would have to be a visual search only. There is just to much metal, inside buildings and our metal detectors, do not work well, at all. As I was the only one home watching our 8 year old Granddaughter, I told Chase I would be right out there, once my daughter got off work or my wife Cheryl returned home, from her 5 mile walk. About an hour later, Cheryl returned home and I headed to Portland.

When I arrived at the new construction, in Portland, Chase was already there, waiting inside his truck, for me. After a greeting, Chase told me the ring was new, as he had just gotten married, in October. I told him that I have had many newlywed recoveries, as the rings just don’t always fit right and the newlyweds just aren’t use to having a ring on. I was praying to myself to find this wedding ring, for Chase and his bride. We then got right down to business. Chase reexplained everything and walked me around the new construction and showed me where he had been putting the hay down, which ended up around the entire house. The area wasn’t large at all and I thought to myself that I should be able to cover the entire area, in just 30 minutes or so. I started the search, on the left front corner of the building , as you faced it and would work my way clockwise, around the building. As I started searching, I was finding quite of few pieces of construction metal, go figure. Small pieces of aluminum, copper, brass, etc.. Chase continued his visual search, for his ring, just a few feet ahead of me, occasionally coming back to see what had set my detector off. Unfortunately, I had finished the left side of the house and the backyard, with no ring being found. As I was heading down the right side of the house, I had completed approximately 2/3 of the searchable area and was starting to get nervous, as I was running out of real estate to search. As I was making my way down the right side of the house, with Chase just 10 feet or so ahead of me, I heard Chase say something to me and I looked in his direction. He was hold something up and showing me, as I asked, “Is that the ring, did you find it?’ As Chase nodded his head up and down, he said “Yes, I found it”. I walked right over to him and gave him a high 5 and congratulated him. He looked at me and said “Do you know how many times I have walked and looked at the hay, in this area, the last few days. It just blends in with the hay.” Chase and I both had big smiles and I could see the relief, on his face. He was one happy newlywed as I am sure his wife, Annie was, as he sent her a photo of the ring. I always say that once I am on scene it becomes a team effort. Clients will continue to search visually and if the area is large enough, I will bring an extra metal detector, with me, that my client may use. It doesn’t matter who finds the ring. The goal is to put the ring back on the finger. Mission accomplished. After all, Teamwork is Dreamwork.
I also told Chase and Annie that in his line of work, construction, Chase should wear his silicone ring. Working with your hands all day is just an invitation to lose the ring. It is also very possible to severely damage the ring, while building homes. Chase already is wearing his silicone ring and actually had it on, when I arrived. Better safe than sorry. I personally remove my wedding ring, whenever I go metal detecting, doing yard work or go to the beach. Again, better safe than sorry. It’s so much easier to replace an inexpensive ring, than a very sentimental ring.
So, another ring back on the finger and another smile on the face. I’ll say it again, “I have the best job in the world and there is no better feeling than to help someone get their very sentimental ring back.”
I would like to congratulate Annie and Chase, on their recent marriage Here is wishing Annie and Chase a lifetime of love and happiness 😀❤️🙏

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Gold And Diamond Engagement Ring Lost In The New Hampshire Grass and Leaves, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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I received a call from Kevin, on late Thursday afternoon, November 13th. Kevin told me that a white gold engagement ring had been lost, in the backyard, of his New Hampshire home.  I then asked him how long ago the engagement ring had been lost and why did he think the ring was out in the backyard? “Did your wife see or feel the ring come off, in the backyard”? Kevin replied that “The ring was lost last night. We were having a disagreement and the ring flew out the upstairs window and into the backyard. I have looked for it but can’t find it. I even threw quarters out the window to see where they would land, but the grass is tall and leaves are everywhere”. Well, ok then. These things do happen and Gary and I have been involved in 5-6 of these, over the last few years. Gary actually found a thrown ring earlier this year. The wedding ring had been thrown into the woods, back in 1997 and the ring was found 5” in the ground. That’s right, the ring had been in the woods, lost,  for approximately 27 years. Anyways, this isn’t the first thrown ring and certainly won’t be the last. Kevin wanted to know if I would be able to search, for the ring, in the morning. I told Kevin I would definitely be there in the morning, probably around 9:00am. Kevin then asked if anyone needed  to be there, as both he and his wife would be leaving for work, while it was still dark out. I told Kevin that no-one needed to be there but asked if he could send me a photo, of the area, that needed to be searched. Kevin agreed and actually sent me two photos. One photo was of the backyard, taken from the window, that the ring was thrown out of. The second photo was taken outside , showing the upstairs window, that the ring was thrown out of. This was perfect and the area was very small. Looking at the photos, I figured I could cover the area in just 20-30 minutes, max.

So, this morning, Cheryl and I headed out to New Hampshire. We arrived at right at 9:00am. We walked out back and the first thing I noticed was just how many leaves were in the yard, mixed in with the tall grass. No wonder Kevin didn’t find the ring. I decided to start at the top of the slope, because we found a test Quarter, that Kevin had thrown out the window. As I worked my way down the slope, I wasn’t receiving any targets, at all. A very clean lawn. Once I arrived at the bottom of the slope, I was making my way southeast, when nI received a nice sounding low tone, reading as a 19, on my VDI screen. Definitely in the gold range. I couldn’t see anthill because of the thick grass and leaves. I then took my pinpointer out and started zeroing in on the target. Once I pinpointed the target, I started removing some leaves with my hand, when I saw a beautiful engagement ring, staring back at me. We had found the ring in only 5-6 minutes. Because of the circumstances, I knew the ring should be found fairly quickly but it is still a relief when you actually see the ring. Since both Kevin and his wife were not home, I took a photo and sent it to Kevin, showing the engagement ring and my business card. Kevin replied “ WOW, that was fast.” I replied “5-6 minutes, Down over the hill.” He replied “Wow, In the leaves.” Because neither Kevin or his wife were home , Kevin asked me to place the ring in the garage.  “The garage side door is open, you can leave it in a tool box drawer. Can’t miss it.” I went into the garage side door, to look for the tool box. Cheryl went to our vehicle, to find a sandwich bag, to place the ring in. I found the large tool box, with no issue. Cheryl brought the sandwich bag to me and we placed the engagement ring, the quarter and my business card, into it. I then opened one of the drawers and placed the bag under some tool,  in the back right corner, of the drawer. Now this was a little unnerving to me. I really didn’t feel right just hiding the ring, inside a garage but Kevin told me neither of them would be home until 5:00pm or so. I then asked Kevin to let us know as soon as they get home and have found the ring. I have enough stress, in my life, I don’t need to worry about an engagement ring I found and left behind. At just after 5:00pm, Kevin texted me and said, “Got it!!! Back on the finger.” Kevin then thank me again and Cheryl and I couldn’t be happier or more relieved. 

Like I have mentioned, Rings being thrown are nothing new to us and we don’t judge people for these occurrences. They happen and will continue to happen and we will continue to help find them, free of judgement. I am just so thankful that Kevin called me immediately. If the backyard had been raked, mulched, mowed, etc., who knows if the ring would have been found. Kevin did the exact correct thing he should have done. He did not disturb the area and he called us for help. After approximately 16 hours after being thrown, the ring was found and returned. Another ring is back on the finger and everyone is smiling tonight. Kevin and his wife were not home, so I was unable to get a photo with either of them. We have the best job in the world.

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Very Sentimental Gold and Diamond Ring Lost In Ogunquit Maine, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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As I was driving home, from Standish, Maine, I received a text, from Liz.  Liz had lost a very sentimental ring, in Ogunquit, Maine, earlier that morning. Unfortunately, she had to leave Ogunquit , to return home. Liz lives in Brooklyn, NY and had been visiting her mother, for a birthday weekend, in Ogunquit.  She had found my name, after the Ogunquit Town Manager had referred her to The Ring Finders website. It was now late morning, October 5th, when I pulled over and immediately called Liz. Liz told me that earlier in the morning, as she was walking to the beach, for her daily swim, she was taking her ring off, when she suddenly dropped it. Now, when Liz told me that I thought it should be a fairly easy recovery, as long as she wasn’t in the water and the tide was coming in. Liz then told me that she dropped the ring, while walking across a footbridge. The ring had hit the footbridge and the fell through the gaps, between the boards, of the footbridge. Liz then told me that as soon as the ring disappeared , under the bridge, she and her brother, made their way, over some treacherous rocks and searched for the ring. Neither Liz or her brother were able to find the ring, on the rocks, below the bridge. Liz then sent me a photo of the footbridge and circleld the area, where she was at, when the ring was lost. She also texted the following 

“I’m so sorry you have to climb down there — my brother and I did this morning and it wasn’t too bad but if it looks, too treacherous, we’ll call off the search! 

It definitely fell through the cracks closer to the ocean side

It was at least 10 feet into the bridge and definitely before the bridge makes that slight turn”

I told Liz that I would be in Ogunquit, in an hour or so, as I had to go home and get my metal detecting equipment, prior to driving to Ogunquit. So, I retrieved my equipment and headed to Ogunquit, but not before checking the tide chart. I didn’t want to get there and see that the tide had come up under the bridge or even come up later, and strand me under the bridge. Thankfully, the tide was working in our favor. I would have plenty of time, to search for Liz’s ring, without having to worry about the tide, coming in. Once I arrived in Ogunquit, I couldn’t believe all the people in town. It was October but the temperature was already 79 degrees and heading to the mid 80”s. A beautiful day. Parking was at a premium and I saw that right next to Wharf Lane, where the footbridge was located, was a motel. I noticed that Sea Chambers Motel, had quite a few parking spaces available and I went in to ask if I could park there, while searching for a lost ring. One of the employees, behind the desk, knew of The Ring Finders of Maine and was happy to let me park, while I searched, under the bridge. She told me that it was offseason but in the summer, when they are booked full, they wouldn’t have any spaces for me. No problem, I was very grateful for their kindness. 

After parking, I arrived at the footbridge a few minutes later. I took some photos from atop and below the footbridge. I sent a photo from above and below, to Liz and asked her if I was in the correct location. She drew a circle, on  the top of the footbridge and stated, “Like fell down right around there” The second photo, from below, she also circled and said, “I pray I’m right but I’d say right in and around there”.

 I made my way to the drawn circle, under the bridge. Once I arrived at that location, I was surprised at how much vegetation was under the bridge. I immediately started a metal detecting search but wasn’t able to locate Liz’s ring. I was trying to be careful, on the rocks but lost my footing, a few times, so I decided to just slow down and perform a search, north to south, horizontal with the footbridge. If I wasn’t able to find the ring this way, I would then swing the coil from east to west. This way, I would be able to watch my footing better. As I finished my north to south search, I still had not found the ring. I decided to go one more section, to the north, on the chance the ring had hit a rock and bounced further up the footbridge. There was also the chance that Liz was a little off, on where she had lost the ring. That’s why I always expand the search, when it isn’t found, where it is thought to be. The results of the next section were no different, from the first two sections, I had searched. I then thought that the ring could have possibly hit a rock and ended up out in the wet seaweed. I decided to search the seaweed and grass, away from the bridge and work my way to the south. Again, the ring wasn’t found in the seaweed and grass. I would now do an east to west search of the area, under the footbridge. As I finished the second section, still no ring. I started the third section and about half way through the section, I heard a very faint sound but it wasn’t repeating and was most likely not the ring. I took a step up under the bridge, so I could see better. When I looked behind the rock, I couldn’t believe it. It was Liz’s ring, just sitting there. But, Why didn’t I find it the first time through? My guess is that the rock, that the ring was hiding  behind, didn’t let the coils electromagnetic field to be “seen”. Quite possibly, I just missed it, while trying to maintain my footing. Either way, didn’t matter. I now had the ring and sent Liz a photo of it, saying “Congratulations”. Liz immediately replied

“OH MY GOD

Dennis!!!!

I am so so so happy and relieved!

My mum lives at ** ******* Street and the back porch is open — 

I could also come get it from you next time I’m in Maine (end of October)

Oh man, I am so beyond grateful!!!”

Now I personally don’t like going inside someone’s home, porch, garage, whichever it may be , without someone there. I told Liz we could definitely meet at the end of October and she can get her ring back, at that point. I would put the ring in my safe , until Liz returned in approximately 3-4 weeks. Liz was absolutely fine with that. She then sent me another text

“Amazing amazing amazing 

Thank you”

Now fast forward to today, Halloween. Cheryl and I drove back down to Ogunquit, to meet Liz and return her ring. Liz is in town again, to visit her mother. We met at Mornings in Paris, right there on Main street in Ogunquit. Liz was all smiles as Cheryl and I walked in to the restaurant. Liz said she was very excited to get her ring back and just didn’t feel right, without it. When I asked Liz what the ring meant to her she told us that the ring had actually belonged to her best friend’s grandmother. Her friend’s grandmother had a very big influence on Liz, as she was growing up. Liz would often borrow the ring, from the grandmother and wear it. The ring had a very special connection, a connection that made a bind, between Liz and her friend’s grandmother. When the grandmother passed way, years ago, the family wanted Liz to have this special ring and gifted the ring, to Liz, for her birthday. Liz was overwhelmed with joy, when she received the ring. The ties that bind these two women, were now in Liz’s possession forever, keeping their special memories and relationship going strong. It is such a great feeling to be able to reunite these extremely sentimental, lost rings to the rightful owner. It’s truly the best feeling in the world. 

Another ring back on the owners finger and served with a reciprocal smile. We have the best job, in the world. 

 

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Heirloom Engagement Ring Lost In The Buckfield, Maine Grass Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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On Monday evening, October 13th, I received the following text, from Tony

“hello there I wanted to reach out my wife lost her wedding ring and band it’s 3 rings in total we were able to find 2 of them but the one that is still missing is very dear to us as it has my moms diamond in it who passed away when i was a child and we just are lost on what to do so we wanted to see what it would take to get your services we live in Buckfield, Maine”

I replied , a short time later

“Hi Tony, So sorry to hear this.

A few questions first, if you don’t mind
1) How long ago was the ring lost?
2) Where was the ring lost?
3) You said you have found two of the three rings. Were they all lost at the same time, same place?
4) Did your wife see or feel the ring coming off?”

Tony replied

“The ring was lost yesterday in our yard. I found two about 15 feet apart. We bought a metal detector that found them, but the most important ring to us we haven’t been able to locate. She didn’t feel them come off, she was playing outside with the kids and doing hard work.”

Wow, His deceased mother’s Diamond Ring is lost. We need to find this extremely sentimental ring and fast. Thankfully, the ring is on their property, so no one will be able to find it, before we arrive.

Tony and I agreed that I would  travel to Buckfield, Maine and search for his mother’s Diamond Engagement Ring, now worn by his wife, Ashley. I told Tony that I would give Gary Hill a call and see if he could help me search, the area on Tony and Ashley’s property. Gary was available to help me search and I told Tony, the next day, that Gary and I would be at his property, on Thursday morning, between 7:00am and 7:30am. That was agreeable to Tony and the search was scheduled. Tony told me he wouldn’t be home but that Ashley would be and she would show us the area they thought the Engagement Ring would be in.
Gary and I arrived just after 7:00am, this morning and Ashley immediately came to the door. Ashley walked us through the events, of last Sunday, when she had lost all three of her ring. Ashley told Gary and I that she had been outside, playfully running around, trying to catch her children as they played in the yard. She had also been throwing a ball back and forth, with the children. When they finished playing, Ashley realized all three of her rings were missing. A visual search yielded no rings and Tony then went and bought a metal detector. They were able to find two of the rings , but not the Heirloom Engagement Ring, that was his mother’s. Unable to find “the important ring“ and becoming frustrated with the metal detector, constantly making “noises”, Tony gave up and sent me the text.
One of the rings, that had been found, was found close to the middle tree and the second ring Tony had found, was found about 15 feet away, between the middle tree and tree #3. Gary and I decided to start our grid search, at the two far trees, of the three trees, in the area. We would work our way towards each other, as we grid searched from the driveway, to the fence, along the hayfield. As we grid searched the area, we were receiving a few non ferrous targets but they were all deep, in the ground. There was also a lot of ferrous items, in the area, but we just ignored them. These ferrous targets are what was driving Tony crazy. If you don’t have any metal detecting experience, these constant noises will drive you crazy and you end up checking every little ferrous noise out, where Gary and I can skip over these ferrous noises and focus on the non ferrous targets, that would include all the precious metals, that rings are made of. To complicate the matter, the fence, at the edge of the hayfield, was barbwire and there was another wire, laying on the ground that was constantly making our detectors off and was registering as a low conductor, non ferrous target, just like gold. Gary and I really needed to slow down and listen intently, when we were up near the fence and wire.
As Gary and I were getting closer, to each other, Gary told me he would stop at the fence, to the hayfield. He would start searching, at tree #3 and work his way towards the road, and I could finish the small area left to search. This was because if Gary and I get to close to each other, our metal detectors will interfere with each other. It’s better to keep a distance. As Gary was grid searching towards the road, I arrived at the open gate. I was receiving many non ferrous low conductor signals. The signals being detected, were mostly coming from a thin wire, heading towards the road. I slowed down my swing speed, so I could hear and differentiate different tones. While doing this, I did get a repeating target about a foot or two, just off of the wire. I just knew this was a great target and a good chance it was the ring, we were looking for. I took my pinpointer out and searched the tall grass, until I found the target. As I pushed the grass around, I saw the ring, all the way down, on the ground. It was completely hidden, by the tall grass and it would never been found visually. Gary then went and got Ashley and when she arrived, we had her watch, as Gary relocated the ring, with his pinpointer. As she looked on, anxiously, she suddenly saw the ring appear and said, “It’s right here. Thank you guys so much. Oh my goodness, thank you guys so much. I really appreciate it, thank you so much. We looked everywhere and it was right there.” I told Ashley that “You never would have seen it. It was under the grass.” As Ashley now wiping away a tear, from the corner of her eye, she replied, “No, That means a lot, thank you guys.” It feels so great to see smiles, happy tears and happiness , when we are blessed to find these very precious and sentimental pieces of jewelry. As we left, I wished that Tony had been there to see the recovery of his mother’s Diamond Ring. Unfortunately, He had to work, so I sent him the video of Ashley see the ring, for the first time, since it had been lost. Tony replied
“Thank you Dennis so much!! It is a blessing we couldn’t be more thankful you guys are awesome again thank you for your time.”

You know you’ve had a great day, when you can put a smile on their face, a happy tear, in their eyes and a ring, back on their finger. We love doing this for others and I will say it again, “We have the best job in the world”😀❤️🙏

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Mailbox Key Lost In The Grass And Leaves, In Well’s Maine, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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I received the following text message on Sunday, just after noon time.

“I have a lost mailbox key, I live in the Town of Wells, Maine. It’s in my driveway or front yard. Is this something you can help with?”

To make things quicker, I called her back just a few minutes after receiving the text message. I was able to talk with Kim. Kim told me that the previous evening, when she came home after work, she checked her mailbox, at the front of the property and next to the driveway, of the complex. After checking her mailbox, Kim walked across the driveway and lawn, to her front door. When she arrived at the front door, she went to unlock the door and she noticed that the mailbox key was no longer on her keychain, next to her house key. Those were the only two keys, on this particular keychain. Kim told me the keychain had broken recently and she had fixed it but it was now broken again and her mailbox key was no where to be found. Kim told me that she had searched for almost 1 1/2 hours, the previous evening but could not find it. She told me that there were lots of leaves, tall grass in a few spots and the key was gold colored and would blend in with the dead grass. I asked her how big of an area she had walked across and she replied that it really wasn’t a large area but she just couldn’t find it. So, I told Kim I could help her and Kim told me she was at work and she had a friend that was going to look for the key,this afternoon. Kim also wanted to search again when she got home, around 5:00pm. If Kim or her friend were unable to find the key,b she would call me, around 5:30pm.
Neither Kim or her friend were able to find the key and Kim called me, as planned. I told her I could be there in 30 to 40 minutes, with my metal detector. Once I arrived, Kim was standing in the driveway waiting for me. I surveyed the area and saw lots of leaves, around the mailbox. Kim told me that she had moved some of the leaves around but still couldn’t find the key. I came up with my plan of action and would start the search, next to the mailbox. If I didn’t find it there, Kim would take the same route she had taken the previous evening, to her front door. I would follow her and search along the way.
As I was searching around the mailbox, I received quite a few targets, in the leaves. Unfortunately, once I pinpointed the targets, they were all in the ground, other than a Stinking Lincoln penny and the key would not be under ground. Once I finished the mailbox area, I started across the gravel driveway and received a very nice target, with the VDI screen showing it was on the surface, to two inches deep, in the ground. As I ran my pinpointer over the gravel driveway, I found my target. Unfortunately it wasn’t the key, just another Stinkin Lincoln penny. Once on the grass, of the front yard, Kim told me that she didn’t remember the exact route she took but it would be within a 10’ to 15’ wide path. I told her I would perform a north to south grid search and expand it to about 20’, just to be safe and who knows, the key may have been kicked, while kicking the leaves away. My first grid pass had me closer to the street and I searched towards the house. Nothing found above ground and a few targets, pinpointed, were under the surface. I stepped over and headed back to the south and the road. After a few steps, I received a loud repeating signal and when I looked down, THERE WAS THE SMALL MAILBOX KEY. Totally visible now that the few leaves that had been on top of it, were knocked away, by my coil. I turned to Kim said, ‘ Come and take a look at this.” As she walked towards me I pointed to the ground and said, “there it is.” Kim couldn’t believe that they hadn’t found the key earlier. I told her it was hiding, under a few leaves. Kim was extremely happy to have her key back. She didn’t has a spare key and who knows how much it would have cost to get a locksmith to come out and make a new one. Possibly the management company of the complex could have another key made but again, how much would they charge her for losing it? So Kim is going to be buying a new keychain and get a spare made, of her key. After the thank you’s and hug, I left with a nice big smile, knowing that Kim won’t be stressed out this evening, like she was the previous evening. I love my job.😃❤️🙏

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