Man’s Palladium Wedding Band Lost in the Ocean for 3 Days, Found and Returned Sunset Beach NC
On Saturday, July 29th at 9 a.m. I got the following text, “Hi Jim, My name is Jude, and I found your number on the Ring finders website. I lost my wedding ring a couple of days ago on Sunset Beach. We’ve been staying near the 17th St boardwalk. I lost the ring in the ocean near where the boardwalk meets the beach, maybe about 20 yards to the east. It was close to high tide when I lost it, maybe about 30 feet into the water. I don’t know if you’re able to look for it for me? Unfortunately, we leave this morning for Raleigh. We have to check out by 10. Let me know if you can help. I’ll need to call from my in-laws phone since I’m on a U.K. number, visiting from London.” About the same time, I got a call from Jude’s wife Katelyn who gave me additional details as well as a pin drop. Within minutes I got another lost ring call for two rings lost in the dry sand on a different beach. Unfortunately, I was tied up for the next hour or so, so I put the rings on hold for the time being.
When I was free, I devised a plan that I’d get the 2 rings first, since they were in the dry sand. Then I’d look for Jude’s ring since I still had a few hours before it’d be high tide on this day. After recovering the 2 rings I headed for Sunset Beach to look for Jude’s ring. When I got to the beach, it was pretty empty except for a family that was sitting in the exact spot I needed to hunt. I searched for a couple of hours working my way around the family as much as I could, basically trying to wait them out. I also searched both east and west of the suspected loss. I sent Katelyn a picture of the family and told her that they were exactly where I needed to be and that I’d be back between 9-10 p.m. I felt pretty confident that Jude’s ring was still where he dropped it three days earlier. Although Sunset Beach gets hit very hard by other detectionist, this area was kind of out of the way for beach goers.
I always get antsy waiting for the tides to get where I’d like them. So, I got to the beach about 8:30 p.m. It was late enough that it was pitch dark. As instructed by Jude and Katelyn, I walked straight out from the beach access boardwalk. It was a couple of hours before low tide so I had plenty of time. If the ring was there, it should be out from under the ocean and stuck in the wet sand. I turned on my equinox 800 and went to work. It’s been a long time since I’ve found a Palladium ring and couldn’t remember what the VDI (visual display indication or numbers) would be. I was thinking it’d be in the high teens. I started a north/south grid line, perpendicular to the surf line. My fourth line I got a solid loud 19 VDI just out of the surf in the wet sand. I took a big scoop of sand and laid it out on the beach and checked the hole. I had the target out. I turned my headlamp on, got down on all fours and started spreading the sand out. There it was, just laying there. I’m not sure if it was the ring or me that let out a big sigh of relief, as if saying, “FOUND!” Not really, but I know I was sure happy. I didn’t have my glasses to read the engraving, so I asked a couple out walking the beach if they could. The young lady read enough that I knew I had the right ring. I text Jude and Katelyn at 9:06 p.m. with a picture and said, “Bang!!!! The engraving all matches.” Luckily, they’re staying with in-laws another week before they head home to London, UK. I got the ring in the mail and got it back to them on Aug. 2nd. It just so happens, their 10 year wedding anniversary was Aug 3rd. So Happy Anniversary you two!!!!
Jude/Katelyn – Thank you for trusting me to help find your lost treasure. Have a safe trip home. The 3rd picture is your ring perched on roughly a million year old Megalodon Tooth.
Jim
Found Sunset Beach NC