After being alerted by my brother that his employer had lost her keys in the snow outside her house, I made contact with her and headed over to see if I could help. After about 20 minutes I was able to locate the keys and fob in a snow bank the plow had created at the end of her driveway.
How Dave The Ring Finder Goes Beyond Jewelry Recovery to Keep Power Flowing in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties
When you think of finding lost rings, jewelry might come to mind—but at Dave The Ring Finder (www.davetheringfinder.com), my work goes far beyond that. As a proud member of www.theRingfinders.com, I also recover critical components like transmission tower rings that keep electricity flowing to homes across Ventura and Los Angeles Counties. Here’s how my metal detection expertise helps keep the lights on in towns throughout these regions.
Late one night, I received a text from John, a lineman with an electrical contractor in Ventura County. He described an urgent situation: two halves of a vital transmission tower ring had come apart and fallen 100 feet from a remote mountainside tower. Accessible only by a treacherous one-lane road, this rugged location in Los Angeles or Ventura County posed a serious challenge. Losing this ring wasn’t just a minor inconvenience—its absence threatened to halt power operations for over a week while a replacement was sourced. With power reliability on the line, I set out to recover these essential pieces.
The search started with the first half of the ring, which had landed near the tower’s base. Using my metal detector, I quickly located it, securing a key part of the puzzle. The second half, however, was trickier—it had ricocheted off the tower frame multiple times before disappearing into the wild terrain. Undaunted by the steep hillsides typical of Ventura and Los Angeles Counties, I conducted a detailed grid search. For hours, I navigated dense brush and uneven ground, relying on my detector’s steady signals to guide me.
At last, a faint tone broke through—a buried treasure three inches underground. With both halves recovered, I knew this wasn’t just a win for John’s team but for the countless homes depending on that tower for power. These weren’t rings for fingers; they were linchpins in the electrical grid, hidden in the remote landscapes of Ventura and Los Angeles Counties.
This mission highlights how www.theRingfinders.com and www.davetheringfinder.com do more than recover lost jewelry—we support critical infrastructure. From finding wedding bands to ensuring electricity keeps flowing, my professional metal detection services make a difference. Whether you’ve lost a cherished ring or a vital component in Ventura or Los Angeles County, I’m here to help. Contact me, Dave, at 805-290-5009 or visit www.davetheringfinder.com or www.theringfinders.com/david.mac.donald to learn more. Let’s recover what matters most—keeping your treasures and your lights on!
SeattleRingHunter Lost Item Recovery Specialist LAND & SCUBA Call ASAP 206-618-8194
Watch video linked below…
Michael contacted me after having found my RingFinders page seeking assistance in recovering his wedding band. He had lost it the day prior just before all the parks got shut down due to the COVID-19 shut down orders. He and a few buddies went out to ride some mountain bike trails to get some fresh air. Before taking off from the parking lot he placed his black tungsten carbide wedding band of almost two years into his pants pocket. He said he typically uses a zippered fanny pack but didn’t bring it on this day. He then shoved his phone into the same pock and took off on his ride up the mountain with his buddies and dog. When he return to the parking lot he pulled his phone out to place into his car and noticed his pocket was turned inside out. At this point he then realized his wedding band was no longer in his pocket. He told me the parking lot was hard packed dirt and not much gravel at all so it was easy for him to visually clear area around his car. He noted that there was three key places on the hill that he stoped to take his phone out and he was quite sure the ring was still on the hill.
After hearing that his pocket turned inside out when he retrieved his phone at his car I ask him to check his car. I instructed him to look under his seats and floor mats carefully with a bright flashlight to be as sure as he could to rule his vehicle out. He later confirmed that the ring was not in his vehicle to the best of his knowledge and he was most assured it was still at the mountain bike park somewhere. He didn’t witness the ring falling out of his pocket so we weren’t exactly sure where it had landed.
He also told me he lives and works two and half hour up North of the park and would not be able to revisit the site until the weekend. I assured him I would be able to perform a search the next morning and we would be in contact. He started txting me plenty of maps and detailed pins of the locations he remembered taking his phone out of his pocket. The search plan was set. Because of my past experience and combined knowledge of TheRingFinder community I encouraged him to post a Craig’s List add simply stating that he lost a wedding ring a that park with zero details of the ring, to offer a reward and to leave his contact phone number for easiest contact. My concern was to make sure incase someone eyeballed the ring after he drove off they may only search Craig’s List post for a few days and quickly forget to look agin. I wanted to make sure we had this part of the equation covered. I agreed to head out the next morning to execute the field search.
It is so important to act quickly in calling an experienced Recovery Specialist and getting the initial over the phone conversation started! We can’t stress this enough and to those that do like Michael did it more than often pays dividends in a successful recovery. I often wonder why some people hesitate even after finding TheRingFinder.com directory listing and all the successful stories we post why anyone would hesitate even a moment in making that initial phone call. So if you have lost and item of value and are reading this story considering if you will make that call simply stop reading this and pick up the phone. Even if your outside of my area and you need someone to chat with I will help you find some support in your local area and proved a few tips along the way. Even if you think a metal detector would be of no use that is of no matter. The detector is only one of may tools I use though the recovery process and it all start with a simple call and easy chat.
Again much credit got to Michael as this is exactly what he did. He was sharp and on his toes and a pleasure to work with assisting with information in every way possible. The next morning as I was heading out he informed me the night before he got a txt from his Craig’s List post about fining a lost ring but no details or call back. I informed him to expect a few bogus contacts and if anyone has really found your ring they will reach out to you with solid details. I also said this is normal and until they txt you an exact photo of your ring that I would continue with the search and that I did.
When I arrived fully aware of our social distancing mandate I cleared the parking lot to ensure the ring had not rolled into the grass. No ring found so up the hill I went. Through the course of the day it quickly became apparent the most efficient way to find the spots of interest was to FaceTime Michael who was two and half hours away and he directed me to each spot with precision detail and pointed out over the video chat what part of the trail he use his phone. This process went on for a few hours and finally at the last spot of interest I as able to recover his thin black tungsten carbide wedding band beneath some bits of nature partially covering the ring. It really was a team effort and not only the two of us. After asking how he found me he told me another key part of the story. After loosing his ring he went to a FaceBook group for Duthie Hill Mountain Bike Trail and made a post about his lost wedding ring. In that post he wrote, « I know I probably will never see it again, but it is very important to me. » With that cry for help he got quite a few concerned responses and ides. Then Jay Speidell wrote, « I just remembered reading a news story about people using metal detectors to find rings for hire. Tungsten should be detectable. https://theringfinders.com/«
Thanks Jay for posting TheRingFinders link I know Michael is very appreciative of your help. It is always exciting being a part of these stories and seeing how they unfold. There is commonalities between these stories but no single story is exactly alike. Some times they don’t result in a recovery but many have found some peace and closure know that a specific area was thoroughly searched and they did all they could. Others stories turn up years later though the oddest of ways. However this story ends with a recovered wedding band and one happy dude ready for another day on the trail.
Watch the full featured story unfold scene by scene her:
Rob Ellis: Underwater Ring Recovery Specialist. Call or text 703-598-1435
November 19th, 2019
John, who recently returned from an overseas deployment, had lost a lot of weight. He was fishing on his farm pond with a young friend. While helping his friend remove a fish from his line, John’s Virginia Tech ring slipped off. As you can see from the photo, this is a treasured reminder of his beloved alma mater and he rarely took it off his finger. John had the foresight to immediately take note of where he was when the ring fell off.
Due to other obligations, it took a several weeks before Mrs. E and I could make the trip to Tappahannock. After a two hour drive we met John and his friend Billy. We immediately bonded with these awesome patriotic Virginians.
John decided to drain half the water out of the pond. He and his friends developed an ingenious method and spent many hours nursing the home-made pump. The depth was about 15 feet lower when we arrived. John and Billy placed a ladder so I could get safely get in and out of the water. John also launched his boat to give me a platform from which to work. I’m so grateful for his ingenuity and thoughtfulness.
Setting up in the woods
Half Drained & Boat
The pond had steep sides, zero visibility, and is over 25 feet deep. John and Billy helped me get my SCUBA gear into the boat and I snorkeled over to the opposite bank. As you can see from the photos, there were tangled branches interfering with the potential search site. I explored the area around, under, and through the tangle as best I could using my Excalibur detector.
To search in the water under the tangle I realized we would have to remove the branches. I decided to search the bank before undertaking the difficult task of removing the branches. It was a slippery, but there was little trash and the search went quickly. It felt wonderful to hear that beautiful tone when I located the ring and dug it up from the mud.
John’s help in draining the pond and putting me so close to the drop was extremely helpful. His generous reward was much appreciated and I donated a portion to Fisher House.
For help to recover your item, please text or call 703-598-1435
SeattleRingHunter Lost Item Recovery Specialist LAND & SCUBA Call ASAP 206-618-8194
I received a call from Christi asking for my help in recovering a very special ring she had lost in the back yard. She explained that she had just removed a rock from her dog’s mouth. She then threw the rock towards the arborvitaes hedge line. The next thing she knew her multi generation family heirloom platinum diamond ring was no longer on her finger! She was a hundred percent absolutely certain the ring flew off and was somewhere in the yard. I told her I would be happy to help her out and I was on my way.
When I arrived she retold the story informing me this time that she actually witnessed two items fly though the air after throwing the rock she had removed from her puppies mouth. She even showed me where the rock she threw had landed close to the hedge line. This was all very reassuring news to me lining this up to be a fairly straight forward recovery scenario. She also informed me that she had already received permission from the neighbor if we needed to search the yard behind the fence. As I investigated the fence I quickly realized it was a metal chain link fence and the neighbors back yard had a water feature under construction with large rocks with many deep cracks. I prepared myself mentally that this could be a challenging search if the ring landed close to a metal fence or worse went into the neighbors yard.
She also told me she had considered renting a metal detector from one of our local shops. However after seeing TheRingFinders.com she figured it was the most efficient option to call upon an experienced recovery specialist. As many people report she had no idea TheRingFinders even existed and was very happy to have found us.
With my detector in hand I got under way with the search. Fortunately the arborvitaes hedge line made a great back stop as it didn’t take more than a few quick minutes to locate her cherished heirloom diamond ring. My detector easily rang out a five VDI signal holding true to the platinum ring below. Her puppy even came over to check out what all the fuss was about as I recovered the ring from below the shrubs. Christi was extremely relieved and happy to have her precious ring back on her finger.
I was extremely happy to have recovered her ring and quite thankful it did’t fly past the fence into the neighbors yard. Another ring recovered, another smile earned making for a happy day during a time of global stress and health concerns.
SeattleRingHunter Lost Item Recovery Specialist LAND & SCUBA Call ASAP 206-618-8194
Watch video linked below…
I received a simple one line email from Rudy, « Can you help me locate a ring I lost in my front yard please? » That’s all it took to get the process started. We had a quick phone chat and the story unfolded with all the necessary details. Rudy told me a few days prior he had his wife’s diamond wedding ring in his hand when his toddler ran up to him. They were on the front porch and he picked his daughter up into his arms to show the ring. In doing so her arm smacked the ring straight out of Rudy’s had. He put his daughter back into the house and immediately started searching the tall shrubs trying to find the lost ring. Both Rudy and his wife, Andrea, spent the next several days searching inch by inch. They hand search the shrubs branch by branch and hand sifted the needles below and still no ring. Rudy even took out his own metal detector that he had stashed from a long while back. However not having ever used it before it just made a bunch of senseless noice and was of no use. The day before Valentine’s day Rudy was on the phone with Andrea and since she was deeply saddened that the ring was still missing. Rudy readied he had to find a way to get the ring back. After an internet search on how to find a lost ring he found TheRingFinders.com and reached out to me for assistance.
I arrived on Valentine’s day and the search was on! The yard was small but the couple had become object fixated on a specific area in the bushes. They had spent hour over the previous days looking with no success. They did say they never heard the ring fall so there was a good change it never hit the concrete. I did a focused search from the initial target zone and slowly expanding out when I found the ring just beyond their search area. It had been tucked in the grass with some blown in leaves covering things up.
Watch this exciting story unfold as I search your common everyday front yard for a beautiful diamond white gold wedding ring:
lost gold wedding band at Lauderdale Park Fort Lauderdale Florida… found..
I got a call from a man saying that he lost a heirloom gold wedding band ring handed down to him from his relatives. He actually lost two rings but was able to find one of them. But after renting a metal detector and a lot of BEEPS. He finally called someone that could help. after about 45 minutes I was able to find the ring and he was very happy with the results.
I got a call from a woman in distress from lauderdale by the sea beach. She said that she lost her wedding platinum wedding band in the sand . I rushed to meet her there . after about 10 minutes searching I found her ring she was so completely happy that I was able to find her ring.
SeattleRingHunter Lost Item Recovery Specialist LAND & SCUBA Call ASAP 206-618-8194
Watch video linked below…
I received an email from Chelsea asking if I would be interested in helping her search for a rose gold three ring wedding set she lost at the horse ranch. I gave her a call to gather more details. She told me that she arrive at work at the ranch and realized she still had her wedding ring on. She clearly remembered taking it off and placing it in her pocket. She remembered it was a bit cold and she took her gloves off a few times and placed them in the same coat pocket as the ring. We both had a strong idea that when she took the gloves out of her coat pocket it most likely dragged the ring out and fell some where on the ranch property. She realized quickly after getting home and checking her coat pocket that the ring was missing. Her husband even helped her by unbolting the passenger side car seat and searching the best they could with no ring found. She didn’t sound so confident being that the ring went missing two months prior. I reassured her that the details of her story were in her favor. You didn’t loose in an active river, out in the middle of a high traffic public area and you have a clear memory of the last pace you had the ring. We set a schedule to meet and she later asked me are you sure because we are in the middle of a huge rain storm. I reassured her I am prepared and ready to go find your ring!
I arrived at the ranch all geared up for the weather with plenty of equipment in hand. I also reminded her if after searching the whole property if the ring was not recovered not to worry.I was fully prepared to search the rest of her vehicle with my video endoscope checking all possible cracks and under all seats to be absolutely sure.
After a three and a half hour search I recovered her ring buried under several inches of wood chips in the arena. I am very certain this ring would not have never been recovered without the aid of an experienced metal detecting recovery specialist. I am also very honored to have been trusted to assist in the recovery of Chelsea’s lost wedding ring.
Watch this exciting story unfold as I search an entire horse ranch for Chelsea’s missing diamond ring set:
I got a call to find a 24 Karat 44 gm gold nugget. It was used in a contest . The contest was to find the gold nugget in any of the 6 .. 1 ton burlap bags of dirt. Unfortunately the client couldn’t find the nugget in the 1 ton burlap bag they knew it to be in after no contestants could find it . So I went to the commercial location where the nugget was at and attempted to find it with my metal detector. but the nails in the pallet interfered and also the writing on the bags interfered. So the client had to take it to a different site so we could dump all the dirt out. once we could dump the dirt out it was found very quickly