Two Rings Reunited

As I parked my car outside of a lakeside bar in Como, WI, I knew the task ahead would be like none I had encountered before.  Could I locate two lost wedding rings from the same couple?  It was 2:00 pm on July 20th, 2026 and I would soon meet Shauna and Chris to hear their story in person.  Like many of my searches, their story began like so many.  Paraphrasing… « I knew my ring fit loosely and it came off in the water.  I can’t believe I didn’t think to take it off! »

Shauna was playing with her three young daughters, sitting in the shallow water, probably keeping her sharp, motherly eyes on each of them.  Pushing off the rocky bottom of the lake to stand up, she felt the ring slip, release, and disappear.  Carefully padding the lake bottom with a flat hand, only gritty sand and small rocks pushed back.  Her ring was gone.

And then the twist…

When I called her back to arrange for the search, she interrupted with… there’s a bit more to the story and she proceeded to tell me that I would be looking for two rings.  In the moment of losing a precious ring, an overwhelming mixture of emotions are released.  Loss, regret, sadness, anger, hopelessness.  I don’t know what Shauna was feeling, but her husband, Chris, stepped in to help bear the burden.  He said something like… « these rings belong together… » and took off his ring and threw it into the lake.  I listened to their story, paused, and asked, “This is going to sound like a strange question, but are you two fans of [the television show] The Office? »  « Yes! »  they replied, wondering where I was going with the question, but clearly energetic fans of the series.  I pointed to Chris and said, “First, you are the Jim Halpert in this story.”  

In season 6 of The Office, Jim and Pam get married.  

As with most weddings, something inevitably goes wrong and for Pam she accidentally tears her veil.  In the moment, to console her, Jim grabs a pair of scissors and cuts his necktie in half, refocusing Pam that their love is steadfast despite what breaks down around them.  Chris reacted in love, and in my book, that gets the Jim Halpert award.  Shauna later commented it did help her to get through the moment after losing her ring.

In the end, both rings were found.  Shauna’s in shallow water, while Chris’s required some diving to recover it.  Both searches were accomplished in an hour and a half because Chris and Shauna put me in the perfect locations.  Their sharp memories gave me the best chance to use the tools and knowledge of metal detecting to reunite the rings.