#mainemetaldetectorrental Tag | The Ring Finders

Gold Diamond Hoop Earring Lost In The Sand, Found With A Metal Detector In Old Orchard Beach, Maine

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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🚨 LOST GOLD & DIAMOND EARRING IN THE SAND! 🚨

I received a frantic text on Tuesday evening at 5:50 PM.

“Hello. I’m staying at the ‘On The Beach Motel’ in Old Orchard. I lost a gold hoop diamond earring… My husband gave them to me. He passed away two years ago, so this is more upsetting than it may have been otherwise. Is this something you can try to help with?” 💔

I immediately replied:

“Hi, this is Dennis from The Ring Finders of Maine. I’m on the road but will be back in the area around 6:30 PM.

Do you still have the matching earring for a photo? Small gold earrings are very difficult to find.

Do you have a specific area on the beach to search, or do you think it’s in the water?”

She texted back:

“I did step into the water. We are out getting dinner right now, but we had a beach setup and I know exactly where it was.”

⏱️ The Race Against Time

I texted back right away:
“Ok, I want to search tonight as soon as you get back. My main concern is that another detectorist might find it, or the beach-cleaning machine will scoop it up at 5:00 AM. If it gets scooped by the machine, it will be gone forever.

”Claire later told me that the incredible office staff at the motel were the ones who told her to call me. 🙏

😢 An Emotional Plea

Through tears, Claire explained to Cheryl and me that this earring was a precious gift from her husband, who passed away two years ago.

She told us these earrings weren’t just jewelry; in a sense, they were her husband. She was physically sick not knowing where it was. 💔

Her family had already torn the hotel room and the car apart. They even searched the dry sand by hand. Nothing. It had to be on the beach.

My primary mission tonight was the dry sand. We had to clear the area before the 5:00 AM beach cleaner arrived.

Alright, let’s go find this earring! 🔎🏖️🎯

The Search Begins
Claire took us down to the exact spot where her family had set up for the day. She knew the area perfectly.

Once the boundaries were set, I started grid searching parallel to the water, moving from south to north.

Claire continued searching the dry sand by eye, constantly staring out at the ocean waves, praying it wasn’t out in the deep water.

At the end of my first pass, I only found a crusty old dime.

🪙✨ A Shocking Low Tone

I turned around and headed south, keeping an eye on Claire as she watched the waves.

Suddenly, a loud, low tone blasted through my headphones! 🎧J

Just what I was hoping to hear.

The Target Identification (TID) read a solid 07. That is exactly in the small gold range.I carefully brushed the sand away, and there it was: the glittering gold earring! ✨

🎬 The Setup & Surprise

Claire hadn’t noticed me finding the earring because she was still looking out toward the ocean.

I glanced over at Cheryl and mouthed, « I’ve got it, get video! » 🤫

With Cheryl’s video rolling, I pretended to continue searching as I walked closer to Claire. »

Can you point to exactly where you were standing in the water? »
I asked her.

As she turned toward the ocean and pointed, I held the earring up right in front of me, waiting for her to turn back around.

😭 The Floodgates Open

It worked perfectly!

When Claire turned back to face me, she saw her beloved earring dangling right in front of her. The floodgates completely opened.😭❤️

She walked slowly toward me, crying tears of pure happiness and relief.

As I placed the earring back into her hand, she gasped, « I can’t believe it. I really can’t believe you found it. »

She wrapped me in a massive hug, the happy tears still rolling down her face.

What an emotional return! She finally had both of her precious earrings back together. 👩‍❤️‍👨

Just then, her son Mickey walked onto the beach.

Claire proudly yelled to him, « He found it! Can you believe it?!

« Mickey broke into a huge smile and said, « You’ve got to be kidding me! »

😄Claire then admitted to me, « I almost didn’t call you. I thought it was gone forever. » Thankfully, she did!

🏆 The Best Job in the World

As Cheryl and I walked off the beach, Claire was proudly telling everyone around her that she got her earring back. She had the biggest smile on her face.

I truly have the best job in the world. I love my job!

Remember: “If it matters to you, it matters to us!” 🤝✨

📞 LOST SOMETHING VALUABLE IN MAINE? Don’t wait! Time is of the essence before the tides or beach cleaners get to it.

👉 Call or Text Dennis: (207) 423-3027

🔒 A Note on Client Privacy:Claire requested not to use photos or videos of herself on social media, and I always completely honor my clients’ wishes. Her comfort and trust mean everything to me. However, her son Mickey happily agreed to pose with the found earring for this post! (See photo below 👇)

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Gold Wedding Ring Lost In The Soil, Found With A Metal Detector, Wells, Maine

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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🚨 EMOTIONAL RECOVERY! 🚨 Another Ring Back Where It Belongs! 💍✨

The Ring Finders of Maine, With Recovery and Return #232

While Cheryl and I were at a Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees game in Boston, Gary Hill was watching the store back here in Maine. ⚾️

The previous day, I had received a text from Mary:
“Hi. My name is Mary. We live in Wells Maine. My husband lost his wedding ring while digging a patio this weekend. Are you available tomorrow? I’ve seen you on Facebook, and we met one time at Drake’s Island Beach.” 🏖️

My reply:
“Hi Mary, I am not available tomorrow. I am going to Boston for a Red Sox game. I do have Gary Hill covering for me if you would like him to search tomorrow. Otherwise, I could come Sunday morning. Is he sure he was wearing the ring while working on the patio? Has the area where he was digging been filled back in? My concern is that the ring may have been buried too deep for our detectors.” 🤔

Mary’s reply:
“We have only dug it out. We dumped a lot of dirt and grass in the woods behind our house; I’m guessing it would be there. But our plan is to finish the patio tomorrow, so if you could give me Gary’s number, I would appreciate it. Enjoy the Sox!”

I gave Gary’s contact information to Mary, and once they talked, they made plans to meet the next morning at 8:00 AM. ⏱️

Gary arrived right on time, and he brought along a special helper—his 8-year-old grandson, Rowan, who was visiting his grandparents from South Carolina! 🥰

Mary and her husband, Paul, showed Gary the two locations where they thought the gold wedding ring might be: the patio excavation site and the dirt pile in the woods. 🪵

Everyone figured the woods was the most likely spot, but Gary decided to sweep the patio site first just to rule it out. It was only about a 15’ x 15’ area, and Gary figured it would take just 10 minutes.

THEN, THE DETECTOR WENT OFF… 🎧💥

Just 5 minutes into the search, Gary got his first target! Rowan was on duty as the official pinpointer operator today. 🧭

As Rowan stuck the pinpointer into the soil, he pulled out a piece of aluminum.

But as any good metal detectorist knows, you always check the hole twice! Gary told Rowan to recheck the area. Rowan placed the pinpointer back in the dirt, and it went off again! There was another target hiding right underneath! 🚨

As Rowan carefully brushed away the dirt, a glint of gold caught their eyes. It was a gold wedding ring—Paul’s ring! 🥹✨

INCREDIBLE!!! Gary and Rowan needed less than 5 minutes to solve the mystery.
TEARS OF RELIEF 😭❤️

When Paul saw his ring, his eyes immediately filled with tears. 🥹

That ring meant the world to him, and he truly believed it was gone forever. The sudden wave of relief was overwhelming. Paul and Mary wrapped Gary and Rowan in huge hugs, and the stress completely melted away.

Another ring back on the finger where it belongs! 💍

A huge congratulations to 8-year-old Rowan on his amazing work today. He did an outstanding job and has officially earned his title as a « Ring Finder! » 🏆🎉

💡 LOST SOMETHING PRECIOUS?
If you or someone you know has lost a ring, keys, or any other irreplaceable item, don’t wait! Call or text The Ring Finders of Maine right away at 207-423-3027. We are here to help bring your lost treasures back home! 📞🧭 [1]

We truly have the best job in the world, and we love what we do! 🗺️🔨

Remember, “If It Matters To You, It Matters To Us.”

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1948 High School Class Ring, found with a Metal Detector, in Maine, returned to family, after 3/4 of a Century

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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Back in 2013, I found a 1948 SJHS High School Class Ring, while Metal Detecting, in the ocean, in Old Orchard Beach Maine.

I knew of a St Joseph’s High School (SJHS), in Biddeford, Maine, which closed, back in the 1960’s. I wanted to return the ring, but trips to local libraries and an email to an Alumni Association for St Louis and St Joseph’s High School, all came up empty. Online searches also yielded no clues. I soon found out there were hundreds of SJHS high schools across New England, Mid Atlantic States, Canada and the rest of the U.S.. Old Orchard Beach is a summer resort town in Maine with 100’s of thousands of tourists from all over, every year and the ring was approximately 65 years old, when I found it. . How would I ever find and verify, which school, the ring came from? Could the SJHS be a St Joseph’s, St John’s, St James, etc..? After researching, on and off for 1 1/2 years or so, with no results, I put the ring into my safe and forgot about it .

Fast forward to February 9th, 2024. I found another class ring, while metal detecting, in Old Orchard Beach, after some recent winter storms. This was a 1982 Billerica Memorial High School class ring, from Billerica, Massachusetts. I knew that this should be an easy find and return ring, but that’s another story, for another day. But, finding the 1982 Billerica ring, jogged my memory of the 1948 ring, in the safe. I thought I would give it another go and see if there was anything new online, to help identify the school, from which the ring came.

I posted the ring on many Facebook Pages, including Class Rings – Lost and Found and St Louis High School Biddeford Maine. The Class Ring Facebook Page has an incredible research team that without hesitation, started to help me locate the correct school. The research team, includes employees of Josten’s, the rings manufacturer. Josten’s found the 1948 blueprint for the ring, in approximately 1 week. The ring was absolutely from St Joseph’s High School, Biddeford, Maine. The now closed school is approximately 6 miles, from where I found the ring, in the ocean.

While Josten’s was researching the ring, Chuck, the administrator for The St Louis Facebook Page, forwarded me a newspaper photo of the 1948 St Joseph’s Graduating Class, of 19 women. The initials RGH, engraved on the inside of the ring, matched one young woman and I just knew it had to be hers. Her name is Rita and

I performed an online search, but unfortunately, I found Rita’s obituary, from 2021, just 3 years prior. I was able to contact one of her children, Mary Ann, mentioned in the obituary and she lives only 3 miles from me. Mary Ann answered all my questions about her mother, and they matched exactly, with all the facts I had. Her mother had graduated in 1948, from St Joseph’s High School, in Biddeford, Maine. Her mother’s middle name, starts with a G and ended with a H, just like the ring. Mary Ann told me she was very surprised and excited and couldn’t wait to call her other siblings. Mary Ann told me she would call me back and set up a time, where I could return her mother’s ring and some of her siblings, could also be there. When she called back, we made Saturday, March 9th the date to return the ring.

I met 4 of Rita’s 7 children, at their mother’s and their childhood home. Mary Ann, Joan, Kevin and Michael were there to greet me and were very excited and happy to see their mother’s high school ring, which none of them had ever seen, before today. After all, the ring has been miss for approximately 3/4 of a century.The siblings related the story that their mother had lost her ring, in her late teens or early 20’s, most likely between 1948 and 1952. Their mother had told them about losing her ring, way back then and wasn’t even sure where she had lost it.

It is such a privilege to be able to reunite such a precious piece of someone’s life, to their family. There is no better feeling, than returning rings like Rita’s, to family members that will cherish it forever. Although Rita is no longer here, with them, the siblings all felt her there today.

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