#MaineLakes Tag | The Ring Finders

Sterling Silver Necklace And Pendant Of Father’s Fingerprint Lost In Sebago Lake, Maine, Found In The Water With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)

✨ LOST AT THE BOTTOM OF SEBAGO LAKE: A PIECE OF A FATHER’S MEMORY ✨

On August 9th, my phone started blowing up. Tag after tag, notification after notification. The Ring Finders of Maine community was rallying, and they were pointing me directly toward a heartbreaking post on the « I Boat on Sebago Lake, Maine » Facebook group.

A woman named Gretchen had posted a plea that instantly brought a lump to my throat:

« This might be a long shot but if anyone is at the Sandbar today and happens to find a necklace that looks exactly like this, please send me or Jacob Burns a message, he lost it yesterday we think around 5:00pm and it is very special to him. Thanks in advance! Apologies for the blurry photo but it should say dad on one side and has a thumbprint on the other. »

The post included a few blurry photos, but the gravity of what was lost was crystal clear. It was a heavy sterling silver chain and pendant. On one side, a deeply etched fingerprint. On the other side, the word « DAD » followed by his birth and death dates.

WOW. 💔

🌊 AN IRREPLACEABLE LOSS

My heart sank. Jake and Gretchen have been dating for a few years now, and as his girlfriend, she knew exactly how much that piece meant to him. Jake’s father had passed away less than a year ago.

This wasn’t just a piece of jewelry. This wasn’t something insurance could replace. This was a priceless, irreplaceable piece of his dad—and right now, it was sitting somewhere at the bottom of the vast, shifting sands of the Sebago Lake Sandbar.

Thankfully, the amazing people of Facebook knew exactly what to do. The comments section exploded with people urging Gretchen to call in the reinforcements:

  • « The ring finders of Maine! They are amazing at finding all the special lost things. »
  • « I love to watch their adventures. Jacob Burns reach out to them, they’re your best shot. »

Gretchen and Jake did exactly that. When they reached out to me, they explained that while they knew the general area where they’d been hanging out on The Sandbar, Jake hadn’t realized the necklace was gone until much later. They had already gone back and tried searching on their own, but their efforts proved futile. By now, the heavy sterling silver pendant was most likely swallowed up by the sand in waist-deep water.

With thousands of weekend boaters, shifting currents, and the endless sand of Sebago, the odds were heavily against us. But looking at the photo of that thumbprint, I knew we had to gear up and give this family everything we had.

🛑 THE CURVEBALLS BEGIN

Planning this recovery was about to throw us a few major curveballs.

Jake’s first thought was that Gary and I could simply wade across the lake from the Sebago Lake State Park shore to reach the sandbar. Right away, my alarm bells went off. As a rule, it is highly advised NOT to attempt to reach the sandbar from the state park. The water levels change rapidly, and the area is full of dangerous drop-offs and hidden troughs.

Our safety is always paramount. Picture two « old guys » carrying heavy, expensive detecting equipment through deep, unpredictable water without knowing where the bottom drops out—there was absolutely no way I was going to let us attempt that.

Jake then offered a backup plan: he had a boat and could take us over himself. But with his intense work schedule, he only had a few specific days available, and it would have to be a 6:00 AM launch.

An early morning start was critical. If you know the Sebago Lake Sandbar, you know it gets incredibly busy fast, with boats lined up down the entire area. Trying to swing detectors around anchored boats and crowds of swimmers is nearly impossible. More importantly, the sandbar is massive. If Jake couldn’t be right there with us to point out the exact grid where they had been standing, we would be looking for a needle in a water-covered haystack.

Once we finally locked in a date to search, all we needed was a little cooperation from above. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans. Our first attempt was completely rained out, forcing us to push the mission back a full week until Jake’s next day off.

By the time the big day finally arrived, that precious sterling silver pendant and necklace had been missing at the bottom of the lake for over two weeks. Two weeks of shifting waves, churning sand, and endless boat traffic.

🛥️ THE 6:00 AM LAUNCH

Gary and I met up with Jake and Gretchen promptly at 6:00 AM. The lake was completely calm as Jake navigated us out of Jordan Bay. We cut through the cool morning air, passing between Frye Island and the towering heights of Fryes Leap, heading straight across Sebago Lake toward the state park and the massive sandbar just to the west.

The boat ride took about 15 to 20 minutes, and the moment Jake threw the anchor into the shallow water, Gary and I were in the zone. In less than 5 minutes, we had our gear ready and stepped down into the water.

There wasn’t much sun that morning—just a few stray rays cutting through a cloudy, heavy, and overcast sky. The boats hadn’t arrived yet, and the water was quiet, but the gray light made it hard to see anything beneath the surface.

Having never been out to the sandbar before, I was secretly incredibly concerned about what lay beneath the sand. Knowing the insane amount of boats and beverages consumed out there, I was preparing for the absolute worst. A massive carpet of trash—bottle caps and aluminum pull tabs—would completely slow us down. Metal detectors read those items similarly to jewelry, meaning we would have to stop and dig every single piece of junk to make sure we didn’t accidentally sweep right over the sterling silver necklace.

Jake didn’t just sit on the boat and watch; he jumped right into the water with us. He thought we should head east, parallel to the shore, keeping in the waist-deep water.

To battle the clock and the threat of hidden trash, Gary and I decided to perform a synchronized « snowplow » grid search. I took the lead in front, and Gary locked in right behind me and slightly to my left. By overlapping our detector swings in this tight formation, we were able to clear a massive 10-foot-wide path with every single step we took forward.

🕵️‍♂️ THE SEARCH IS ON

We set out with Jake leading the way, guiding us along their path from two weeks ago. As we swept, our detectors would beep, and we’d scoop—digging a coin here and there, and the occasional pull tab or bottle cap. But after about a half hour of grid searching, Gary and I stopped and looked at each other in total shock.

We couldn’t believe just how little trash we were actually digging! We were so incredibly surprised and happy to see how beautifully clean the lake bed was. It turns out the boaters out here are incredibly responsible, respecting the waters and not polluting the lake with trash. A BIG SHOUT OUT TO THE BOATERS!!! 🙌

Right around this time, Jake suddenly redirected us. He had been standing in the water studying photos on his phone from the exact day he lost the pendant, trying to line up landmarks. Realizing we were a little too far in toward the shore, he had us adjust and move further out toward the open water.

With our original snowplow grid broken by the move, I formulated a new plan on the fly. I told Gary I would head out deeper and slightly closer to the boat, while he could stay closer to where we were. We would grid this brand-new area from opposite sides, cutting a path through the sand and meeting each other somewhere right in the middle.

The Sandbar was not giving up many targets. We waded into our new positions under the overcast sky, lowered our coils back into the water, and kept swinging.

🚨 THE MOMENT OF TRUTH

We had been in the water searching for close to an hour when the quiet morning air suddenly shattered. Across the gray water, I heard Gary and Jake getting incredibly animated.

Then Gary yelled the words we had all been praying for across the open water: HE HAD FOUND BOTH THE NECKLACE AND THE PENDANT! 🎉

Even from 60 feet away, the smile on Jake’s face was absolutely unforgettable. It split across his face, bright and clear under the cloudy sky. OUTSTANDING!!!

I quickly waded my way over to them, and the sheer joy and exuberance radiating from Jake’s entire body was unmistakable. He was yelling across the water to Gretchen on the boat, his voice booming with pure relief and happiness, telling her that he had his father’s pendant once again.

What followed was a blur of celebratory handshakes, triumphant high fives, and a wave of pure emotion that I will never forget. Jake loved his father so deeply and wanted this pendant back so badly. It wasn’t just metal—it was a literal, physical piece of his father. Two long weeks of worrying, a rained-out search, and a massive body of water couldn’t keep them apart.

Once we finally made it back on shore, the celebration didn’t stop. Gary and I were showered with an endless stream of « thank you so much, » heartfelt handshakes, and massive hugs from both Jake and Gretchen.

❤️ WHY WE DO THIS

Standing there on the shore, watching the relief wash over them, it hits you right in the chest. There is something profoundly sacred about a father and son’s love for each other—a bond so powerful that it transcends even death.

That connection is exactly why Gary and I do this. Our passion isn’t just about finding lost pieces of metal; it’s about bringing irreplaceable memories back to the surface.

You see, objects can be replaced by insurance, but this item is different. This piece is the memories. It’s the tangible reminder of a father’s hand, a dad’s guidance, and a lifetime of love. Now, those precious memories are exactly where they belong—resting safely in the sterling silver thumbprint that Jake wears around his neck, held close to his heart forever. ❤️

Gary and I truly have the best job in the world, and we love every single second of what we do. It’s moments like this that remind us of our promise to all of you: If it matters to you, it matters to us.

Another priceless memory recovered by The Ring Finders of Maine. Never lose hope! 🙏 🔍 ✨

🎬 WATCH THE CELEBRATION!

Want to see the exact moment the magic happened? 🎥 We released the video Reel last night right here on The Ring Finders of Maine Facebook page!Head over to our Reels tab to check it out and see the pure joy and celebration in the waters of Sebago Lake just after the recovery. You won’t want to miss it!

🚨 LOST SOMETHING IRREPLACEABLE? WE CAN HELP! 🚨

Have you lost a wedding ring, a sentimental heirloom, or a priceless memorial piece in the water, the sand, or the snow? Don’t wait, and don’t give up hope! Shifting sands and moving waters can hide items quickly, but our heavy-duty metal detecting equipment and decades of experience can find what you thought was gone forever.

Call Dennis at The Ring Finders of Maine today:

📞 207-423-3027

  • Let’s get your memories back where they belong!

Sterling Silver Navajo Wedding Ring Lost in The Water Of Crystal Lake, Found With A Metal Detector In Gray, Maine

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)

COINCIDENCE, MEANT TO BE, OR NAVAJO SPIRIT? 😱💍✨ 

As Gary Hill and I were just finishing up with recovering Matt’s wedding ring from Tripp Lake in Poland, Maine, my phone rang.

The caller identified himself as Jack. He was visiting Maine on vacation all the way from Utah! 🌲✈️

The previous day, Jack and his wife were enjoying a hot summer day floating around Crystal Lake in Gray, Maine, right in front of their rented lakeside house. Jack told me he had taken his wedding ring off and placed it safely in his pocket while floating around. He was worried that all the paddling around with his hands in the water would make it slip off.

But when he exited the lake, his worst nightmare came true: the wedding ring was no longer in his pocket. 😣

Jack told me he had been wearing that ring for over 20 years. He was absolutely heartbroken and desperately hoping we could help.

I asked Jack what metal the ring was made of. He told me it was sterling silver with turquoise—a traditional Navajo-style wedding ring. Wow! Very cool, and incredibly unique for us to find here in Maine! I learned that these traditional Navajo rings are deeply popular in Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and the Southwest in general. 🌵☀️

I smiled and told Jack that he was in major luck. Gary and I were literally just 7 to 8 miles away at Tripp Lake, and we could be at his rental in less than 10 minutes! 🚙💨

That’s when the story took a wild turn. 🤯

Jack told me he wasn’t even at the lake house—he was currently down in Portsmouth, New Hampshire visiting his sister! He had been venting to her about losing his precious ring, and his sister looked at him and said, « You need to call The Ring Finders of Maine right now. »

As it turns out, his sister had just read a newspaper article about us and all the success we’ve been having! 📰🙌

Think about the sheer luck of this: Jack is from Utah and had never heard of us. He loses a rare Southwestern ring in a Maine lake. He goes to New Hampshire to tell his sister, who just happens to have read an article about our recoveries. He calls us, and we are practically right down the street wrapping up another successful rescue!

Jack immediately called his wife at the lake house to let her know we were on the way. Gary and I threw our gear into The Ring Finder Mobile and took off. ⚡️

THE SEARCH BEGINS… 🕵️‍♂️🔍

True to our word, Gary and I arrived just 10 minutes later at the lake house in Gray. We were met by Jack’s wife, Karen. She took us down to the water, where she and her friend were sitting and enjoying the afternoon, looking out over beautiful Crystal Lake.

Karen showed us the search area, and Gary and I had to smile. We had just left a massive 15,000–18,000 square foot search area at Tripp Lake, and now we were looking at a tiny 30′ x 50′ zone—only about 1,500 square feet! 📐🙌

Karen explained that they were literally just floating around right in front of the house and hadn’t gone much past the dock. 🪵

Alright then, let’s get our gear and find this very sentimental Navajo wedding ring! 🛠️

We mapped out our battle plan: Gary’s Mission: Start grid-searching the shallow shore water and systematically work his way out deeper into the lake.                                                                        

My Mission: Walk out as deep as I could safely search, then grid my way back in toward the shore and Gary.                                                  

With two detectors swinging and a perfect pincer movement, we were determined to find it. 🤞🌊                                                                         

With Gary starting at the shoreline near the dock, I headed out to the deeper water in front of it. We worked in perfect unison, heading north and then turning to head south.

As I got just past the dock, I was reaching my absolute depth limit. With every step, I was sinking down about six inches into the heavy muck. I wouldn’t be able to go much further—safely, anyways. One or two more steps out into the dark, murky water, and that would have been it. 🌊

At that exact point, my detector screamed. My very first signal. 🔊

I scooped up a heavy load of muck and decaying vegetation, lifting it up to throw into my floating sifter. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Right there in the middle of the muck, I saw just a sliver of silver and blue.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! 😲💥

Not even three minutes into the hunt, on my absolute first target, I found Jack’s Navajo wedding ring! I yelled up to Karen on the shore, asking if the stones were blue turquoise. She yelled back, « YES! »

MEANT TO BE! 🙏💙

Once I got up on shore, Karen and her friend were in absolute shock. They couldn’t believe we found it, and they definitely couldn’t believe we found it so fast! 🤯

Gary and I left a very happy, appreciative, smiling Karen—but not before we got our celebratory hugs! 🤗✨

Unfortunately, I never was able to meet Jack in person, but I called him up right there from the shoreline to deliver the good news. He was completely speechless and in absolute shock! He thanked me from the bottom of his heart for saving a piece of history he thought was gone forever. 🥹❤️

Well, a little luck goes a long way, and everything about this search came together perfectly:

Jack’s sister just happening to read that newspaper article about our success.

Gary and I being a mere 10 minutes away.

Going from a massive search area to a tight 1,500 square foot spot.

And the biggest miracle of all: the ring was right at my depth limit. If it had been just one or two steps further out, I wouldn’t have been able to safely reach it! 🌊🚫

A NAVAJO BLESSING IN MAINE? 🦅✨

As I held that beautiful ring, I couldn’t help but wonder. This ring spent over 20 years on Jack’s finger, crafted in a tradition steeped in deep connection, intention, and meaning. Turquoise is known as a stone of protection and a bringer of good fortune.

To have it slip away in a dark Maine lake, only for a chain of unexplainable events to bring us right to it in under three minutes… you have to wonder if a higher energy was at work. It felt less like simple luck and more like a protective blessing guiding my scoop right to the exact spot.

WHAT A DAY! 🚗💨💨

As Gary and I were driving home to Saco, Maine, we rehashed the wild timeline of our day.

We had left Saco at 5:45 AM and headed straight to Footbridge Beach , in Ogunquit, Maine: Beautiful Place by the Sea for an unsuccessful search (at least for that day—more on that story in the future!). From there, we headed to Tripp Lake in Poland, Maine, then over to Crystal Lake in Gray, Maine.

By the time we finally pulled back into Saco, it was 2:45 PM. What a day! 9 hours on the clock and 140 miles driven, but most importantly: two more wedding rings are back on their owners’ fingers. 🛠️💍

We love our job. We truly have the best job in the world!

 If it matters to you, it matters to us. 🦅❤️

THE ULTIMATE THANK YOU ✉️👇

The very next day, I received this incredible text from Jack that truly made the whole journey worth it:

« Hi Dennis, I can’t thank you enough for finding my ring yesterday. That ring meant a lot to me and I could’ve bought a new one, but it wouldn’t have been the same. You guys are incredible! The timing was unbelievable, because my sister saw the article in the paper just two days ago, and without that, we would never have known anything about you. It’s a miracle! Thank you so much, Jack H. »

💥 LOST SOMETHING PRECIOUS? TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE! 💥

Did you lose your wedding ring, keys, or family heirloom in the water, sand, or snow? Don’t wait! The sooner you call, the better the chances of recovery before things shift or sink deeper.

📞 Call 207-423-3027 and ask for Dennis!

Let The Ring Finders of Maine bring your lost treasure home.

TITANIUM WEDDING RING LOST IN THE WATER, TRIPP LAKE, POLAND, MAINE, FOUND WITH A METAL DETECTOR

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)

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On August 3rd, my phone started blowing up. Facebook notifications were pouring in, tag after tag, mentioning me on a local Poland, Maine community board post.

The Poland, Maine community was trying to connect me with a man named Matt. Matt had posted a heartfelt plea to the group: he had recently lost his titanium wedding ring at Tripp Lake Beach, and he was desperately hoping a Good Samaritan might spot it and let him know.

When Matt called me, the true scale of the mission became clear.

About two weeks earlier, Matt had been enjoying a beautiful, sunny day with family and friends at Tripp Lake Beach, taking advantage of the scorching summer heat by cooling off in the water. But fresh water has a way of shrinking fingers fast! ?

Matt had spent his day wading across the entire length of the public beach—a stretch easily 300 feet long. Even worse, he had been swimming up to 50 or 60 feet out from the shoreline.

When you do the math, that meant the ring was resting somewhere inside a massive 15,000 to 18,000 square foot grid of dark lake water. By any measure, this was an incredibly massive underwater search area, and the clock had already been ticking for two weeks…

To make matters even more daunting, Matt dropped another bombshell: he had already tried searching the water with a borrowed metal detector. Not only that, but two other people had also brought their detectors down to the beach to scan the area.
All three attempts came up completely empty. ?

Honestly, looking at the sheer size of Tripp Lake Beach, it was no wonder. Dragging consumer gear through a massive underwater grid without a highly systematic search pattern is almost impossible.

When Matt asked if we could help, I took a hard look at the calendar. My schedule was completely packed. I was fully booked for recoveries on both August 4th and August 5th. But we don’t like giving up on a ring, especially when the community rallies to find us!

Our August 5th hunt was a critical, time-sensitive low-tide search down in Ogunquit, scheduled for very early in the morning. Gary Hill and I looked at the map and made a plan. The second we wrapped up the coastal ocean hunt in Ogunquit, Maine: Beautiful Place by the Sea t, we would pack up the Ring Finder Mobile and make the 1.5-hour drive inland to Poland, Maine . Two completely different bodies of water, two completely different environments, all in a single day. ??

Once Gary and I arrived at the lake and finally met Matt in person, he walked us right down to the water’s edge. I took one long look at the sheer, overwhelming size of that beach and a thought immediately popped into my head: « There is absolutely no way we are finding his ring today. »

The area was just too massive. Looking out at that water, I knew that anyone just walking around aimlessly had—as Matt accurately put it in his original Facebook post—a total « one-in-a-billion shot. » In my mind, I was already calculating the logistics. I figured Gary and I were going to need at least 4 or 5 full days of a highly disciplined, hyper-systematic grid search to clear this place safely.

But we didn’t drive 1.5 hours to stand on the shore and doubt ourselves. It was time to get to work! ⚔️

I turned to Matt and laid out the battle plan. We would use a prominent, large rock breaking the surface of the water as our deep outer boundary, as Matt confirmed he hadn’t gone out past that depth.

To keep our grid lines perfectly straight and ensure we didn’t miss a single inch of the lakebed, we utilized the rocks along the shoreline as our landmark anchors. Gary would start right where we were at the north end of the beach, working his way from the edge of the water out to the deep boundary and back, systematically grid-searching his way south toward a specific rock landmark on the shore.

Meanwhile, I walked further down the beach to that exact same shore rock—the one Gary would eventually stop at. That was my starting point. From there, I would work my grid lines from the shoreline out, systematically heading further south toward another visual lockup landmark on the beach.

As for Matt, he walked even further down the beach past my zone to start his own search, heading south to tackle the far end of the grid.

We dropped our coils into the water, tuned out the world, and began swinging… ??

Gary and I found the entire beach absolutely beautiful. The water was remarkably warm for an inland Maine lake, and as we got our rhythm down, we noticed something highly unusual: the targets were incredibly few and far between.

It was a very, very clean beach. Because we weren’t stopping to dig up the usual heavy layer of buried pull-tabs, bottle caps, and shredded aluminum foil, our search progress was moving significantly faster than I had originally anticipated. Since we weren’t digging many targets, we were moving right along, slicing through those 15,000 square feet with smooth, uninterrupted swings.

A fascinating thought crossed my mind as I looked over at Gary:
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When inexperienced hunters or people with borrowed, basic machines go looking for a lost item, they usually dig up every single faint beep or scratchy iron signal they can find in a desperate attempt to find the ring. By doing that, they often inadvertently do the heavy lifting for us—stripping away all the shallow metallic « trash » and clearing the path.

Because they had unknowingly cleaned out the background noise, our advanced, high-discrimination machines could scan the lakebed completely unhindered. If that titanium wedding band was down there, there was no longer any junk left to hide it. It was going to scream the second our coils passed over it.

As we proceeded south along the lakebed, almost an hour had passed. The quiet hum of the machines was hypnotic, and I was already mentally mapping out the next major sections for Gary and me to search on the following days, fully expecting this to be a multi-day operation.

Then, out of nowhere…
????!!! ?

My headphones lit up with the absolute best-sounding target of the entire day so far on the Minelab Excalibur II. It was a beautiful, solid tone that broke the lake’s silence.

I stopped dead in my tracks and yelled over to Gary, « This is a really good sounding target! »

I positioned my scoop and dug down into the lakebed. My first scoop came up—nothing but empty sand. The target was still in the hole.

I lined up the coil again, pushed the scoop down deeper into the sand, and lifted. As the second scoop broke the surface of the water, the lake sand began to rapidly sift through the drainage holes. All of a sudden, right there in the bottom of the scoop, I saw the ring! ??

Gary was now walking over to me and he reached into my scoop and grabbed the ring. We both looked at it, completely stunned that the « one-in-a-billion shot » had just paid off in under an hour!

I turned toward the southern end of the beach and yelled down as loud as I could: « ????! ???????????????! » ?

The distance between us was so immense that my voice had to travel clear across the water. Matt froze in his tracks. He was so far down the beach that his response barely carried back to us—just a very faint, disbelieving… « ???’?? ??????? ??. » ?

As Matt hurriedly waded back through the water toward us, Gary and I were just beaming. We couldn’t wipe the smiles off our faces. We just couldn’t believe our good fortune. Better to be lucky than good, as the old saying goes, and we certainly got lucky by being in the exact right spot at the exact right time today.

The moment Matt reached us, pure relief washed over his entire face. You could visually see the heavy stress of being without his wedding ring completely leave his body. He could finally breathe and relax again.

But even in that moment of relief, Matt wasn’t thinking about himself. His thoughts went straight to his wife.

As the three of us began walking out of the water together, I turned to him and said, « ?’? ???? ?? ????? ??? ??? ?? ????. »

Matt looked at the ring, then back at us, and replied: « ??? ???? ?? ???? ??? ????? ?? ???? ???? ??. » ❤️

?? ??? ??????? ??? ???? ? ?????? ???? ?????, ??? ??? ???? ?????????? ?????? ?? ?????? ?? ????? ?? ???? ???? ??? ???? ????? ???? ???? ??? ?????? ????? ?? ???? ????? ???????? ??? ?? ??? ????! ?? ?? ??????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ?? ??????? ?? ????? ???? ??? ???? ??? ?? ??? ?????.

Just as the three of us stepped foot onto dry land, my phone started ringing. It was another panicked call about a lost ring—this time dropped into Crystal Lake in Gray, Maine , which was only about 7 miles down the road and directly on our way home!
I hung up, looked at my partner, and smiled: « Gary, pack up the Ring Finder Mobile… another lost ring awaits! » ??

Moments like this remind us why we do what we do. We truly have the best job in the world, and we love every single second of it!

⚠️ LOST SOMETHING PRECIOUS IN THE SAND OR WATER? ⚠️
Time is absolutely of the essence! Shifting tides, moving sand, lake currents, and crowded beaches mean the longer you wait, the harder it gets to find. Don’t waste critical hours trying to locate a DIY metal detector rental—call the professionals immediately!
? CALL OR TEXT US ASAP: 207-423-3027
We service beaches, lakes, yards, and parks all across Maine. Share this post to spread the word—you never know whose wedding ring you might help save next! ??

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Thirty Year Gold Anniversary Wedding Ring Lost In Sebago Lake, Maine, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)

? ???? ?? ?????? ????? ??? ?????? ??? ????’? ??????? ????! ?

As Cheryl and I were leaving Old Orchard Beach, fresh off a successful recovery, my phone rang. On the other end was Jennifer, and she was looking for some urgent help from The Ring Finders of Maine.

I asked her what happened, and she explained that her husband, Paul, had just lost his wedding ring at Point Sebago. The tricky part? He wasn’t entirely sure where it came off. It could have been in the dry sand around their beach setup, or it could be somewhere out in the water.

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Here is what we knew: Paul had been lounging around his beach chair, but he had also been out in Sebago Lake Maine, throwing a football around with his sons. Around lunchtime, as the family gathered to grab a bite to eat, Paul looked down and realized with a sinking feeling that his ring was gone.

The family immediately sprang into action. They searched all around their beach chairs and waded through the water where the football game had taken place, but they came up empty-handed.

When Jennifer told me the story, my immediate thought was that the ring had to be in Sebago Lake. In my experience, rings don’t just fall off your finger while you’re lounging around in a beach chair. They come off when you are active and doing something with your hands—like catching or throwing a football in the cool lake water!

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Knowing this was likely going to be a water search, I told Jennifer I would absolutely get up there, but I needed to make one quick stop at my house first. If I was going into the lake, I needed the right tool for the job: my Minelab Excalibur II. This machine is a beast for water recoveries—fully waterproof and submersible up to 200 feet deep, it’s the same detector used on heavy-duty dive sites.
Once I retrieved the Excalibur and made sure we had every piece of gear required for a thorough water hunt, I called Jennifer back. I let her know we were officially on the road and that it would take about an hour to get there, aiming for a 3:30 PM arrival.
With the vehicle loaded up and a plan in place, Cheryl and I hit the highway, heading straight for Point Sebago.

⛳ ??? ??????? ?? ????? ??????
Once we arrived, we were promptly met at the main gate by Jennifer and her son, who got us checked in with visitor passes. From there, they drove us right down to the beach and lake in a golf cart. Wow, I really like this place—no walking required, lol!
Down at the water, we were met by Paul. He showed us their exact beach setup and pointed out the area of the lake where he had been standing while tossing the football around. I got my gear on, fired up the Excalibur, and walked straight into Sebago Lake with Paul leading the way to his exact spot.

? ??????????? ??? ???? ??????
Once I could see the entire layout of the area, I told Paul my strategy: I was going to start my grid search just a little further out and deeper in the water. I always over-grid an area to make absolutely sure I don’t miss a single spot where a ring could possibly be hiding.
That’s when Paul gave me one more piece of information—he mentioned that he had actually swum out to retrieve the football a few different times, and on those swims, the water was over his head. There wasn’t much I could do about those deep-water spots at that moment, but I could certainly search every single inch of the rest of the area.
I set up my grid lines vertical to the shore, locking my eyes onto an onshore landmark—a specific tree at the back of the beach area. Keeping my focus on that tree would ensure I walked in a perfectly straight line.

⚡ ??? ??????? ?? ?????!
With the plan locked in, I waded out until the water was approximately armpit deep and started making my way back toward the shore. I hadn’t even been searching for two minutes when I reached belly-deep water and a strong, clear signal hit my headphones. My first target! Could this really be Paul’s wedding ring already?
I plunged my long-handled beach scoop deep into the sand, lifted it up, and dumped the contents into the floating sifter I use out in the water. As the water cleared and I looked inside, I COULD NOT BELIEVE MY EYES.
A gold ring was sticking right out of a clump of sand!
I turned, looked right at Paul, and said, « I got it. »

? ??????????? ?? ??? ?????
Paul immediately made a beeline to me, and Jennifer and one of their sons rushed right out behind him. I told Paul he could have the honors of removing his ring from the sifter himself. As he grabbed it, the sheer relief on his face was incredibly evident.
Suddenly, everyone in the family was smiling, shaking hands, and hugging. But the magic didn’t stop there. Once the other vacationers in the area realized what had just happened, a massive wave of applause, clapping, and cheering started filtering out to us from the shore and from people in the water. It was an absolutely awesome moment to experience!

?️ ? ???? ??????????? ?????
As we were walking out of the lake, Jennifer let me in on a huge secret: she and Paul would be celebrating 30 years of marriage this upcoming October! Recovering Paul’s wedding ring was an unbelievable relief for their massive upcoming anniversary.
Jennifer and Paul continued to praise me for making the trip out to help them, and as we stood there talking about 30 wonderful years of their lives together, my phone rang yet again.

? ??? ?? ????????????? ??? ??? ??? ?????!
The next call was for a lost wedding ring down at Goose Rocks Beach in Kennebunkport Maine. Paul and Jennifer were incredibly generous and offered to buy Cheryl and me a round of drinks to celebrate the win, but we had to politely decline. A wedding ring had to be found, and as we always say:
« If it matters to you, it matters to us. » ❤️
So, with two successful ring recoveries already under our belts today, Cheryl and I hopped back into the vehicle and headed straight to Kennebunkport Maine. Let’s see if we can make it a hat trick! ?☘️??? ?

Gold And Platinum Wedding Ring Lost In The Water Of Sebago Lake, Found With A Metal Detector, In Standish, Maine

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)

? SAVED FROM SEBAGO LAKE! ?

It was supposed to be the ultimate bachelor weekend getaway.
A group of lifelong friends. A stunning waterfront lake house in Standish, Maine. Perfect weather over beautiful Sebago Lake Maine. ?

But what happened next turned a perfect weekend into a full-blown emergency… ?

☀️ THE MOMENT EVERYTHING CHANGED ☀️

Nick was out in the water enjoying Sebago Lake—tossing a football, swimming, and floating around with the guys—when disaster struck.

His gold and platinum wedding ring suddenly slipped off his finger.

Before anyone could react… it disappeared beneath the surface. Gone. Just like that. ?

The panic set in immediately.

Imagine having to make that phone call to your wife from a bachelor party weekend… YIKES!!! ?

? Determined not to give up, the bachelor crew jumped into action.

They swam, waded, and searched the area themselves. Smartly, they even placed two large stones on the lake bed to mark the exact drop zone.

But finding a ring in waist- to chest-deep water is nearly impossible by hand.

Despite their best efforts… the ring was still missing.

? “WE NEED HELP…” (THIS IS WHEN WE WERE CALLED) ?

Realizing they were running out of time, Nick contacted The Ring Finders of Maine.

Cheryl and I immediately loaded up my fully waterproof metal detecting gear and headed to Standish, Maine and Sebago Lake, Maine.

When we arrived, the guys showed us the stone markers they had placed—perfect reference points.

We geared up, entered the water, and began a careful grid search.

? 10 MINUTES LATER… THIS HAPPENED ?

I swept the detector back across the marked area…

Nothing.

I adjusted slightly and continued the grid pattern.

Still nothing.

Then I turned just a bit farther left… and everything changed. ?

A clean, unmistakable signal rang out through my headphones.

I scooped the sand, swirled it in the water… and there it was.

? Nick’s gold and platinum wedding ring.

I lifted it high and said:

“Gold & platinum?”

The entire group erupted in cheers. The energy was unbelievable. ?

Nick’s relief said it all—what started as a disaster was now a full recovery.

And best of all… no dreaded phone call home needed. ?

We have the best job in the world. We love our job.

“Remember, If It Matters to You, It Matters To Us “❤️?

? TURN YOUR SOUND UP — THIS IS THE MOMENT EVERYTHING CHANGED!?

Watch the full recovery video on The Ring Finders of Maine Facebook page to hear the reaction live! ?

? LOST SOMETHING IN THE WATER OR SAND IN MAINE?

Don’t wait—and don’t try to dig it out yourself. You could push it deeper.

Call us immediately:

? Dennis: 207-423-3027
? Fully waterproof recovery equipment for lakes, ponds, rivers, and ocean surf
❤️ If it matters to you, it matters to us