Devon was jogging with her husband, Ty. She decided to remove her rings to put them in a pocket, but suddenly she noticed that rather than two rings, she was only holding one. She still had her diamond engagement ring, but her diamond and gold wedding band was gone. A friend referred them to TheRingFinders.com, and they contacted me. I brought my metal detecting equipment and met Ty at the grassy area where they hoped we would be able to find the ring. It took about 30 minutes, but I found the ring hiding in the grass! Another happy ending!
Reuben called me saying that he had just lost a cross off his necklace while running on the beach in the wet sand, on the slope and in the shallow water. It was right around high tide when he called, and I was just about to eat some dinner, so, I asked Reuben if he could hang around down there a while so I could gulp down some groceries and let the tide go out a bit. He agreed, and we met at a spot at the north end of the search area around 9:45pm. He explained to me that he headed south from there and was running in a zigzag pattern from the water’s edge to the top of the slope, kind of dodging the surf as it surged in and out. I then asked how far he ran until he noticed it was gone. Well, he had a selfie that he took, at the spot we were standing, showing that he had the cross at that point. He then said that he started running from there and headed south for a good 5 minutes! Whoa, that was going to be a HUGE search area. After more Q&A we decided the most likely area was toward the other end of his run when he discovered it gone after he had jumped over a pile of kelp, but, frankly, it could be anywhere along the way. Ok, let’s start walking to that spot. I figured I’d go ahead and turn on my detector and sweep a bit while we went. I just picked a straight line on the slope about half way between the water and the top of the slope. We walked, and we walked, and we walked some more. Found a few piles of kelp, search all around them, and continued on. I hadn’t gotten one signal thus far. I asked how much further he ran, and he pointed down the beach some more. I was about to say that this was going to be a waste of time as this search area was now almost 1/4 mile long and approaching the edge of Mission Beach (the next beach south), and that I was going to have to get a lot more help to cover all this sand, when we approached another pile of kelp. Searched all around it and continued on a little ways more, when I got my first signal of the entire way. A nice solid 11 on my Equinox. One scoop and Reuben spotted his gold cross (a family heirloom that he got from his father) in the pile of wet sand I just dumped. Talk about dumb luck! We both should have bought lottery tickets right then and there. I’m not sure who was more amazed, but, we both counted our blessings on this one! That potential search area was the largest one I had ever had and would have taken me over a week to completely cover it by myself. We found it in an incredible 20-25 minutes. A pleasure to meet you Reuben and thank you for the reward.
Seth called me and told me that his wife, Keona, had lost the engagement ring from her wedding set while in their barn feeding their horses. He said he tried finding it with a metal detector, but hadn’t had any luck and wondered if I would take a look. They were two and a half hours away from us, but Julie and I like to travel and visit state parks, and they happened to live near one, so I said we would give it a try. When we got there, I was able to use Keona’s wedding band to dial in my Minelab to match the missing ring. I did a grid search of the barn floor and in about 15 minutes, I found the ring. Seth seemed both surprised and relieved and we talked about how the lower-end metal detectors he had borrowed to search for the ring aren’t able to single out specific signals, so it was nothing he was doing wrong. The floor of the barn is dirt and the detectors he borrowed were picking up all kinds of signals, but the Minelab was able to zero in on the ones that mattered.
Keona was beyond happy to get her ring back! No matter how many times I see someone get emotional when we find their ring, it’s always a special moment to witness. Seth was great and gave us directions to the state park that would take us through the town of Volant, Pa., which had a pumpkin fest going on. I thought the ringfind went pretty fast, but Julie and I weren’t in the car even 10 minutes when I got a text from Seth that was a screenshot of a post Keona had shared on social media. It was by far one of the fastest and nicest unsolicited testimonials that I have ever received:
“Soooo over a week ago, I did a bad thing. The baby was sick so I went directly from work to the barn to let in and feed the horses so everything would be done and I could go home and just take care of my sick baby. Unfortunately, coming straight from work I didn’t switch out my diamonds for my plastic ring I usually wear when I’ll be doing yard/barn work. I lost almost 30lbs recently and the rings had been a bit loose but with the covid the jewelers had been closed. I left the barn and realized my engagement ring had fallen off somewhere. I looked at work and at home for over a week with multiple helpers and even two metal detectors. Unfortunately there’s metal everywhere in a barn and after a week of searching I felt it was gone forever. I did a Google search and found a professional ring finder in Altoona, Pa. We were outside of his service area, but called on a hope and a prayer. HE CAME OUT HERE and FOUND MY RING! If anyone makes the same mistake I did and needs a professional ring finder, I 100% recommend you call John King from Altoona, Pa. Seth thinks he should’ve bought a Harley instead because you can’t lose a Harley as easily. I will be headed to get my rings sized today, and until then a plastic band will do.”
I had Julie read the text to me as we drove and when she was done, I looked at her and said “That’s why we do it, baby. We made someone’s day.” Best of luck to Seth, Keona, and their family!
What better way to transition into fall than one last ring return on a Volleyball court. I had just returned home when I got a call from my buddy Charlie who is out in CA. He had received a call from a friend of his named Joey who had in turn gotten a call from his wife Nicole and she was in a panic. Nicole had been playing Volleyball with her daughter at a local park and looked down to notice that her wedding ring and her engagement ring were no longer on her hand. This is about the time the panic had ensued and I think everyone will agree that it was totally justified. Luckily Charlie is a great guy and rather than telling Joey that he was out of town, he tracked me down and put us in touch. We were running out of daylight so I loaded up as fast as possible and called Joey to tell him that I could help and get an idea where to go. I pulled in the park and although there were lots of people there enjoying the playground equipment I had no doubt who I was looking for. As soon as I pulled my gear out, a big group of ladies and young people started waving me down. I noticed that they all had makeshift seines and colanders and I wondered which one was Nicole. Then I noticed the lady who was crying and I knew I had found her. I immediately introduced myself and told her not to worry that I was totally going to help her. She told me that I didn’t understand, they had searched everywhere that it could be with the strainers and they had even found the wedding band but she feared the engagement ring might be anywhere in the park and she was distraught. I asked her if they had been there the entire time and they said yes. I tried again to reassure her as I explained what I was doing and started my grid pattern. I made about one pass but as I was talking to her I could see she was in agony so I decided to take a different approach. I told her to tell me where she had found the gold band, she told me that they had already looked there and I told her to humor me. She did and I asked her if they changed sides at all and she said no. Lastly, I asked her if she wore her band closest to her heart and she said yes. I took a step towards the way I thought the ring first off her hand would fly and I said, “watch this” with a big smile. I went about two steps and got a good tone. I don’t think she realized I had something until I kneeled down with my pinpointer and then stood up saying, “Does it look like this?”She broke down in tears and I was reminded why I love doing this so much. Congratulations Nicole and Joey. Thank you very much for trusting me to help you. God Bless!💍
Story of lost ring leads to another reunion, 25 years after loss at Lake Sikome
Chris Spronk searched repeatedly for ring his mother gave him on her last Christmas
Pamela Fieber · CBC News · Posted: Oct 02, 2020 3:00 PM MT | Last Updated: 24 minutes ago
Chris Spronk, left, and Kevin Niefer at Lake Sikome earlier this week. Niefer, a member of Ring Finders in Calgary, found Spronk’s long-lost signet ring there about 25 years ago. (Submitted by Kevin Niefer)
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Calgarian Chris Spronk read last weekend about the return of a precious grad class ring lost 37 years ago in Calgary — found by a member of a metal detecting group called the Ring Finders — and it reminded him of a terrible loss in his own life.
He decided to reach out, and posted something in the comments section of the CBC Calgary Facebook page.
The ring he lost 25 years ago, while tossing a football at Sikome Lake, was very special to him.
« I lost my mom when I was young, when I was 20 years old. And the Christmas before she passed away, she had all of the gold that she had ever worn or owned in her life melted down and designed into these two rings — one for me and one for my brother, » Spronk told theCalgary Eyeopener.
« They were, you know, signet rings with our initials carved into them, with raw gold in the background — very distinctive rings. So it had a lot of meaning to me. And, you know, I wore it proudly. »
Two years later, Spronk lost the ring at the manmade lake in Fish Creek Provincial Park.
Chris Spronk, left, with his mother Brenda and his brother Brian, on the last Christmas they shared together. Brenda Spronk, who passed away months later in 1993, gave each of her sons each a ring that Christmas, made from her own gold jewelry. (Submitted by Chris Spronk)
« Unfortunately, stuff happens, » he said. « I was throwing a ball, I looked down, and the ring was gone. »
For 25 years, Spronk says, he thought about the ring every time he drove past Lake Sikome in southeast Calgary. He and his brother Brian, who understood the personal value of the ring, returned to the lake many times to look for it, even using metal detectors and screens to sift through the sand. Eventually, he lost hope.
« I’d given up on this ring long ago, just because it was gold and if it was found, it was going to be melted down, » he said.
Then last week, Spronk read the story on CBC Calgary’s Facebook page. He’d had no idea a group like Ring Finders existed.
« I was genuinely happy for the person, to see something like that returned, and just kind of put an off-the-hip comment saying, ‘Oh, that’s really cool. You know, I lost a ring in Sikome 25 years ago. Maybe I need to wait another 12 years for mine to come back,’ or something like that, » Spronk said.
Chris Spronk, moments after being reunited with the ring he lost at Lake Sikome 25 years ago. (Submitted by Chris Spronk)
Someone on the page encouraged Spronk to check out the Calgary metal detector’s club Facebook page.
He made a request to join, and outlined his story on the club page.
« The admin at first kind of said, not a chance, never going to find it, the sand has been changed there, it’s been 25 years, » he said. « I know it was a long shot, a huge long shot. But she also tagged this fellow, Kevin. And 10 minutes later, I got a message from somebody I didn’t know, named Kevin. »
Spronk opened the message from Kevin Niefer.
« I may have your ring, » the message read.
The personalized message engraved in the ring that Brenda Spronk gave to her son Chris. When Kevin Niefer found the ring, he knew it would have been special to whoever had lost it. (Submitted by Kevin Niefer)
Niefer, a local realtor who has been a metal detectorist for 30 years, joined the Calgary Eyeopener to describe his side of the events, which started with him finding the ring at Lake Sikome about 25 years ago on a routine outing.
Niefer said he has « a few hundred » rings in his collection — but this one stood out in his memory.
« It just rang a bell because it was so unique at the time. And the inscription inside said, ‘Chris, love mom.’ And I’m just going, ‘Wow, poor guy.’ I remember finding that and going man, that’s pretty brutal, to lose that. »
‘Most guys just melt them down’
Niefer said he has kept the ring in his collection for 25 years. He has never been one to melt down the gold he finds while out with his metal detecting gear.
« Most guys just melt them down or pawn them off, and I’ve kept them over 30 years, » he said. « It just didn’t feel right, I guess, to do that, to melt them down. »
And Spronk, now reunited with his ring, is grateful for that.
Chris Spronk on the Christmas in 1992 when his mother gave him the gold ring with her initials engraved on it, made from her own gold jewelry. Chris lost the ring two years later at Lake Sikome. (Submitted by Chris Spronk)
« You know, it means the world. It’s this gratitude that I can’t express, just the fact that I do have it back and just the emotions that I’m feeling because it was so unexpected, so unplanned, » he said.
« And just I’m thankful for people like Kevin because it shows there’s good in the world. There’s people with integrity, there’s people with conviction that stand by things like this — that want to see good. »
Sometimes the journey is what matters. Shane called me about his wedding ring, lost 8 days after his 10th anniversary. He was loading his boat back on the trailer. While winding the winch, he felt the ring go and he was sure it fell into the murky water. After searching for close to an hour, he was forced to give up as he had his 6 year old twins with him.
While searching for ideas on how to find a lost ring, he came across the ring finders and my bio. We talked for half an hour and came up with an elaborate plan on what we would do when we got there. Starting with the detector and finishing with using a wet vac to suck up the gravel from under the corrugated concrete.
When we arrived at the lau
nch after a 90+ minute drive, we hopped out. His first comment was how much lower the water was and how much clearer it was. He and I walked down the ramp and started to visually look for it. About 1 minute in, Shane bends down and picks up his ring. High fives. He has found his custom made rose and white gold ring..
The next 45 minutes were spent trying to learn how the simple metal detector he had purchased earlier worked. The end result….it doesn’t.
Thanks Shane for the opportunity to make you smile!!
Jason and his wife spent four hours on Emerald Isle Beach enjoying a great September day. Body surfing the ocean, throwing football and playing in the sand.
Upon returning to their car Jason noticed his wedding ring was missing. That evening, his wife called Emerald Isle Metal Detecting and arrangements were made to search the following day. I brought Justin to help search the beach. After searching for a few minutes, I decided a larger coil would be better in the wet sand so I headed to the truck. Upon my return I see Justin walking towards me and I knew it was either he had equipment problems or found the lost ring. I was very pleased he had found the ring in minutes of the beginning of his search. The wife and kids were there to accept the ring and we were very thankful and the kids were very polite from the start! If only all searches went this well!
I received a call from a Texas Aggie that he lost his ring in the Guadalupe River near Hunt, Texas. Being that the Guadalupe is a spring-fed river and it nearing the end of September, I arranged a search before the water got too cold (no wetsuits). Shane (my son and searching partner) and I arrived at the location and met Rick. He explained that he was standing in the river and threw a stick across the river for his dog to fetch. When he did, his 1981 Aggie ring came off his finger at the same time! He pointed us to where he was standing and gave a pretty good idea of which direction he threw the stick. After searching the river (up to our necks at times) for about 1.5 hours with the Garrett AT Pro metal detector and eliminating several good target sounds, a great ring tone sounded in my Grey Ghost earphones. Shane dove down and when he came up the ring was in his hand! Whoop! Rick was excited and very appreciative of the return of his Aggie ring. If you lose your jewelry or valuables call a member of the TheRingFinders.com as soon as possible! In the Kerrville or Fredericksburg area contact me.
Losing a cherished possession like a ring can be distressing, but rest assured, every lost item has the potential to be found. Mary’s heart sank when her ring slipped through the deck’s slats and vanished into a cushion of oak leaves below. With determination and expertise, we embarked on a mission to recover her treasured possession.
Upon arriving at Mary’s deck, safety was our first concern, ensuring no unwelcome guests lurked beneath. After clearing the area, I began a meticulous search with my handheld pinpointer, scouring through the leaves. Just as hope began to wane, a solid tone broke through the silence, leading me to uncover Mary’s lost ring.
For Mary, this ring held immense sentimental value, as it was the sole survivor of a devastating fire that consumed her previous home. While to some, it may just be a ring, to Mary, it symbolized resilience and memories cherished. If you find yourself in a similar predicament, don’t hesitate to reach out. With my expertise in metal detecting services for lost items, I’m here to help you recover what’s rightfully yours. Call or text me at 805-290-5009, and let’s work together to reunite you with your precious belongings.
