I received a call from Tom about finding his lost wedding band. He was mowing his yard and had some low hanging branches on a tree in the back yard.
He tried to hold a limb up and mow under it with his riding mower when the limb pulled his wedding band off. Of course they searched for it and came up empty.
I went today and gridded the area under and near the tree and after an hour found the ring. Thanks for the call out and reward.
Received a text from a young man that said his wife lost her rings in their front yard and asked me if I could come find one of the two rings. They ended up finding the engagement ring but were unable to find the wedding ring.
We agreed to Sunday morning and I get there, get my machine dialed in and start my search. The area was about 5×5 area and took me less than 5 mins find it! Took me longer to set up the machine than it took to find the ring.
They weren’t home at the time so I placed the ring in a secure spot until they got back home and they sent me a photo of his wife holding up the ring.
Another recovery and a precious ring back where it belonged!!
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Total ring recoveries since joining “The Ring Finders” 126 total!
Ring count for 2026: 138 (30 – recoveries/1 – return)
GOLD – 35 (24 – recoveries/1 – return)
GOLD/METEOR – 1 (1-recovery)
GOLD/STAINLESS – 1 (recovery)
PLATNIUM – 5 (4-recoveries)
SILVER – 28
TUNGSTEN – 4 (1-recovery)
TITANIUM – 1
JUNK – 59
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“DIG IT ALL, SAVE SOME RINGS & BURY THE DRAMA!”
I received a voice and text message from Mike today saying his wife Nan had lost her wedding and engagement rings while gardening last March. He said he would have called sooner but, at the time, he had no idea the service we provided even existed. When I arrived, Nan explained that, while she was gardening last spring, it was still cold and she didn’t realize that 3 of her rings were missing. She wasn’t sure where she lost them: the garden in the front yard, back yard, or maybe even when she went for a walk down to the pier that day. She did manage to find one of the rings in the garden in the front yard near the driveway so we were hoping the other 2 rings were there also. After about a 10 minute search, in the front garden, I located both rings about 2’ from each other only about an inch deep. When Mike went in the house and told Nan I had found the second ring I heard her scream. They had only been married a year and the platinum wedding band had been his mother’s ring. It was a pleasure finding such a treasured heirloom, something they had thought was lost forever.
On September 14th, 2026, Ring Finder Dave Boyer asked my brother Rich and I if we’d help search for two gold wedding rings lost while swimming at night in Lake Michigan. We agreed, and Dave connected us with his client Matt, who described where he thought the rings were lost. He marked out a boundary in the sand, and asked us to stop at the sandbar. After several hours without success, we agreed to come back Wednesday at Matt’s request. Since Matt was heading home to Miami, his father Frank would met us and get us searching. Rich and I met up with Frank then headed down to expanded the search area. About five minutes in, along the north line, I found Matt’s wedding band in knee-deep water, closer to shore than we expected. After searching until our arms were toast, we ended the search. Still, one more Gold Ring made it home with its owner! A Special thanks to Frank for posing with Matt’s ring for my Book of Smiles.
Good Morning Neighbors! Have you lost something valuable and is made of metal? Please reach out to me immediately!
I received a text from Tom Townsend who is my brother-in-law and a fellow Ring Finder. He got a text from Nicklos whose girlfriend, Maya, had lost a gold ring with sentimental significance. Because of bad weather and high waves, Tom was unable to get out that weekend so he reached out to me on Monday morning asking if I would be willing to search. My brother, Rich, and I were already heading out to detect that morning. Since Oval Beach was on the way to New Buffalo, our detecting destination, we agreed to make that stop. I texted Tom and he was happy to hear this and sent a screenshot of the location where it was believed to have been lost. We started our search and looked for approximately 15 minutes when, Dave, another Ring Finder contacted by the client, showed up. Dave said we were searching between the wrong buoys but now there were 3 of us, so Lets Go Find That Ring! We headed into the water in the appropriate area and my very first target was Maya’s gold ring. Tom and I meet with Maya the next day to return her family ring. It was such a joy meeting Maya, talking with her and of course, reuniting her with her precious ring! Thank you Tom for another seek and find opportunity. 
July 4th, 2026. The United States of America was busy celebrating its 250th anniversary with parades, cookouts, and family gatherings. Mitchell and Abigail were no different. They came to Lake Geneva to be with family, fellowship around the table, and simply have some fun as a newly engaged couple. But this day brought a loss they were not expecting.
Abigail cooled off that day with a jump in Geneva Lake. She swam a handful of strokes toward a floating trampoline and switched to doggy paddling. And this is when her beautiful diamond engagement ring slipped off her finger and was lost in the muck below.
And it would stay lost for 70 days.
Mitch texted me on July 6th, “My fiancé’s engagement ring came off while jumping in Lake Geneva… I’m curious if you would be able to help…”
I wasted no time getting to the site, and met up with Mitch’s mother the evening of July 6th. She shared the story, and I donned my diving gear to make my first attempt to find the ring. Little did I know it would take five more diving sessions over 70 days, the retrieval of hundreds of metal items from the lake, and nearly 9 hours of diving to find Abigail’s engagement ring.
Although I have hundreds of hours diving in the shallow waters of Geneva Lake, this particular spot was my most difficult. The seaweed, after a summer of growth, was tall and thick. The silt at the bottom stirred up almost instantly and clouded any visibility I might have had. The area between the pier and the floating trampoline was large. And then there was the trash: pull tabs, beer cans, and coins; there were sinkers and fishing lures, pier bolts and washers; boat parts, including a steering wheel, a rear-view mirror, and safety lights; a thermometer, glasses, sunglasses, a dog bowl. There was only one way to find the ring… keep digging.
I went back as often as I could: July 11, July 21, August 15, September 5, September 12. I spent about 1.5 to 2 hours each time, digging up the aforementioned “treasures.”
Mel Fisher, the famous treasure hunter, spent 17 years searching for the famous sunken Spanish treasure ship the Atocha (Nuestra Señora de Atocha). The mother lode, found in 1985, is estimated to be worth around 400 million. He had a slogan that he repeated every day, “Today’s the day!”
On the morning of September 12th, this phrase echoed in my mind as I ate breakfast and thought about my search strategy. I knew the math was in my favor. Every piece of metal I removed got me closer to zero metal targets in my search zone. The more I looked, the more ground I would cover. I would eventually land on top of the ring, and I thought, Today’s the day!
The weather was pleasant that Saturday as I narrated into my GoPro the thoughts on the day’s search. My final line was… “We’ve just got to keep persevering.” About 30 minutes later, I was able to add my post-video commentary, “We did it… I’m so relieved.. What a day! Thank you, Lord. This is the Day!”
And so the ring was found… but how to surprise Mitch and Abigail?
It’s helpful to add that over these 70 days I never actually met Mitch or Abigail. We texted and talked on the phone, but no face-to-face meetings, which gave me a fun idea. What if I could surprise them?
So instead of calling them and sharing the good news, I called Mitch’s mother to set up the surprise reveal. After a few phone calls, the plan was in place: Mitch and Abigail were asked to drive from their home near Milwaukee, WI to Lake Geneva, WI because Mitch’s parents needed to tell them something in person. They were reassured it was good news, but they needed to hear it in person: “Could they come?” Mitch and Abigail might have been a bit perturbed to receive such a short-term request on a Saturday morning, but they agreed to make the 45-minute drive.
On my end, I decided to write a short, somewhat cryptic poem, glue it to a palm-sized box with the ring inside, and then just show up at Mitch’s parents’ home to present the mystery package. Remember, they had never met me, so I was just some random guy, delivering a small, mysterious package.
After I arrived, Mitchell and Abigail came out together. The curious, maybe slightly uncomfortable, looks on their faces just added to the moment. I presented Abigail the box and asked her to read the poem aloud. She read:
Seventy days
In a watery grave
Yet hope remained
And efforts stayed
Our shared joy doubles
As the time draws near
When two become one
“Stop…” Abigail paused
And then she opened the box and her ring peered back from a cotton pillow. “Ohhhh….. Stop,” Abigail continued, and Mitchell came in for a hug.
Mitch: “I never thought I would see it again.”
Abigail: “I’ve felt naked without it.”
Mitch: “Wow. It’s unbelievable!”
The search was finally over, the ring returned, the thanks given. What a joy to be able to help people like Mitch and Abigail! If you or someone you know has lost a phone, ring, or other jewelry item, please call. The smiles I enjoy when returning lost items are one of the best parts of what I do.
I SAVED THE BACHELORETTE PARTY!!! 😃
I never thought I’d get to say that, but that’s exactly what happened when Madeline called me yesterday with an emergency.
The girls had come back from a boat ride the evening before, and when they got to the house, they decided to run into the Gulf and do a big swan dive. Madeline got the dive down pat… but unfortunately, her class ring did not make it out of the Gulf with her!
It’s a University of Texas at Austin ring, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Needless to say, she certainly didn’t want to leave it behind.
Luckily, she called me the next morning. I came out and talked with her about where she thought she had entered the water, and with a full audience of bachelorettes watching from the beach, I began my search.
I started with a pass in the Gulf where I thought she might have first entered the water, but it wasn’t there. I then moved up onto the beach, searching the area where the waves were breaking, thinking she might have dropped it when she stood up and walked out.
Still nothing.
I began a deeper search, thinking the ring may have gone flying when she hit the water during her swan dive. At that point, I started to worry that she might not know exactly where she had entered the Gulf in the dark the night before.
But I needn’t have worried.
A few feet later, I heard that beautiful gold tone in my headphones. 🎯
With the entire bridal party watching from the beach, I gently scooped up her ring. One of the girls even said she could see it shining through my scoop from way up on the beach!
Everyone came rushing down the beach, cheering, and Madeline started to cry. Through the tears, she told me it was the “best day ever.” ❤️
Now THAT is a great review!
Thank you again, Madeline, for trusting me with something so special. I’m glad I was able to save the bachelorette party — and even happier that you got your ring back! 🧡
I had a call the other day from a lady who had lost her grandmothers wedding ring. Her grandmother was married in 1950, so this was a very special ring.
We met on her dog walk, which was a wooded track with lots of undergrowth each side. the walk was probably quarter of a mile, so quite a search. The track was surprisingly not too trashy, but as with most ring searches, they are normally on the surface, so a detuned detector was necessary.
After nearly two hours of searching, we were nearing the end of the track, and we were both beginning to feel the hope of finding the ring was fading. But then, a beautiful clear tone was delivered! A quick brush aside with my foot of some leaf litter, and there it was, a very nice gold ring smiling at me.
Another very happy and emotional owner of a very special lost ring now recovered.
LOST A RING IN SEA ISLE CITY, NJ?
CALL JOHN NOW! 215-850-0188
Sea Isle City, NJ Lost Phone Recovered From 4 Inches Under the Sand
A phone can disappear incredibly fast on a sandy beach.
One minute it is in your hand, pocket, or next to your beach chair. The next minute, it can be buried beneath the sand and nearly impossible to see.
That was the situation Caitlin faced during a beach day in Sea Isle City, New Jersey.
A Beach Search Comes Up Empty
Caitlin and her friends realized that her phone was missing and began searching the beach themselves.
They looked around the area but couldn’t find it.
Searching for a small electronic device in loose beach sand can be challenging. Once an item gets covered with even a few inches of sand, it may be completely hidden from view.
While they were trying to figure out what to do next, another beachgoer recommended John at Ring Finders South Jersey.
That recommendation ended up saving the day.
John Arrives in Sea Isle City
Caitlin contacted me, and I made the trip to the beach.
I arrived approximately 20 minutes after being contacted.
After getting the details about where Caitlin believed the phone had been lost, I began working the area with a systematic grid search.
The goal was simple: methodically cover the suspected area rather than repeatedly searching the same spots.
It didn’t take long.
I received a signal from beneath the sand and started checking the target.
Then came the good news.
The phone was approximately four inches beneath the sand.
The search was successful, and Caitlin’s phone was recovered.
Why Calling Quickly Can Help
Beach conditions are constantly changing. People walk across the sand, beach chairs move, wind shifts loose sand, and tides can alter the area near the water.
That’s why I recommend contacting a professional lost-item recovery service as soon as you realize something is missing.
Whether you’ve lost a cell phone, wedding ring, engagement ring, jewelry, watch, keys, or another valuable item, don’t assume it’s gone forever.
A systematic search with professional metal detecting equipment may be able to locate it.
Lost Something in Sea Isle City, NJ?
Ring Finders South Jersey provides professional lost-item recovery throughout Sea Isle City and surrounding South Jersey shore communities.
Every recovery presents different challenges, but the approach remains the same: listen carefully to the person who lost the item, determine the most likely search area, and methodically work the location.
If you lose something valuable on the beach, don’t give up and don’t wait.
Call John at Ring Finders South Jersey.
📞 215-850-0188
🌐 RingFindersSouthJersey.com
Serving Sea Isle City, Avalon, Stone Harbor, North Wildwood, Wildwood Wildwood Crest, Cape May, Ocean City, surrounding South Jersey areas.
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