metal detector specialist Tag | Page 3 of 3 | The Ring Finders

Lost ring in the water, Lake Tibet, Orlando, Fl…..Found and Returned!

  • from Sanford (Florida, United States)
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Greg called me about a ring that his girl friend had accidentally dropped in a lake and mentioned it was only in a few feet of water. I explained how I normally retrieve lost rings and he assured me he knew exactly where it fell off of the dock and into the water. He said his girl friend had used a mask and tried to locate the ring but was unsuccessful. It had been lost almost a month prior to our conversation and I assured Greg that the ring was most likely in the same spot where it originally fell.

Three days later I met Greg at the location and the first thing I did was to check the exact depth of the water at the drop site and it turned out to be more like 6 to 7 feet deep. Unfortunately I had not brought my scuba tank, dive hose and regulator but I did have my mask and snorkel. So I figured it was another good opportunity to practice diving and holding my breath….once again!

By using my PVC pole stuck into the soft lake bottom where Greg said the ring had fallen, I was able to work my water proof Garrett pro pointer around the pole checking every metal signal. I found various bolts and such and on the 3rd dive I got a good signal and could only grab a handful of mud, shells and debris and as I sorted through the material my hand felt Greg’s lost ring! As I surfaced I rinsed the ring off and was amazed by the unique design and beauty. Greg was thrilled and very thankful to see his girl friend’s lost ring again and I was honored to be the one to find it for them.

Lost something in the water or on the land? Give me a call!
Mike McInroe….proud member of theringfinders.com

Lost Gold Engagement Ring – FOUND!!! – Orange Beach, AL

  • from Orange Beach (Alabama, United States)

I have to say that today was probably  my favorite return of the year. It had all the elements of a great day. I got the call late in the afternoon so I didn’t have to take off work,  it was a super nice couple, they weren’t sure if it was in the water or the sand, they had dug for it extensively, they had asked a stranger with a metal detector to look in the area and last but not least, there were tons of people around watching that were vested in the return because they had been watching them search all day. When Luke called me saying that Emily had dropped her engagement ring in Orange Beach I knew I had to go and help. They had been throwing a football and when they sat back down Emily’s beautiful gold and diamond engagement ring was nowhere to be found. I got some info from Luke and quickly headed that way from Pensacola. When I got to the condo the security guard told me that there was no guest parking but he would give me one hour before I had to go. I hustled down to the beach and there were still people everywhere. Most of them were closely watching what I did so you could tell that they knew all about the missing ring. Even more than normal I wanted to do my best because I knew I had an audience. After a few questions, I started out on the beach and then headed down the path they had walked to the water. I assumed that it was probably in the water so I then went over a pattern in the breaking waves and moved over the sand drop off in case it had been sucked back into deeper water. When I was coming up the beach, Luke and Emily stopped me and said that they had been discussing it and they thought they were in the very top of the breaking water which would have been higher up the beach earlier in the day. I quickly started swinging up there and was on my second pass when I heard a very faint sound. Throughout the search I had found a few targets that I dug but nothing was a good signal. This time it was a little higher pitched but it was so deep that I was intrigued. I almost ignored it thinking that there was no way it could be that deep with only a half day in the sand. Then I remembered that they had been digging for it so I decided to go ahead and see what was down there. I couldn’t believe it when I saw the gleam of gold in the scoop. Emily and Luke immediately celebrated with me and it was then that I realized just how many people were watching the drama unfold. The whole beach erupted into cheers and applause!  😃. I had to run to the parking lot to convince the security guard not to tow my car and give me a bit longer for pictures but he was very understanding. On the way out the young man and his family who had offered help with their metal detector came running up and told me that their was a lady on the beach who needed my help. When I told them that I had found her ring the young man thought that was the coolest thing in the world. I answered about 100 questions but I’m pretty sure I have hooked him and his father on this hobby for life. I am absolutely thrilled that I could return this beautiful ring to Emily and Luke. Y’all are wonderful people and I had a great time helping you. God Bless!  💍

Lost Ring – Fort Morgan,AL -FOUND!!!

  • from Orange Beach (Alabama, United States)

This is Whitney who was down with her family from Arkansas visiting Fort Morgan when she lost her brand new ring somewhere on the beach or in the Gulf. She was absolutely distraught because she and her husband Justin had been married for 13 years and finally decided to get this beautiful ring for Whitney. In her own words she knew that she shouldn’t wear it to the beach but she was just so proud of it that she couldn’t leave it behind. I always tell people to NOT dig for their rings because especially with gold the density difference makes the ring drop farther and farther into the sand. I also tell people that a cheap detector from Academy does not have the capability of finding a ring on a saltwater beach after an inch or two. Unfortunately, this ring was a prime example of both of these rules.  The night before, Whitney and Justin had driven to Foley and bought a cheap detector and dug all night at false signals making things worse. Luckily for them, my detectors can read much deeper than that and luckily for them I’m a sucker for a good story so I left at the crack of dawn to make the several hour round trip out to see if I could help. When I got there Whitney wasn’t sure if the ring was in the water or not since they had gone over the beach with the Academy detector. I told her I would start on the beach and then if it wasn’t there I would move into the water. I could see all of the disturbed sand where they had been digging so I set my machine and walked to the edge of the area to start my grid pattern. I have to say that I was a little surprised when I swung the coil to the left and before I could even complete the first swing I got a solid loud gold signal. It was a no brainer and I gently dug it out of the ground from 6 inches deep. Whitney hadn’t even walked over to her chair yet so she didn’t see me get the ring. She had mentioned earlier on the phone that they hadn’t had a good day yet because of losing the ring. I walked over and held it out and said “maybe, you can have a great day starting now.”  Needless to say, she was shocked and thrilled. She couldn’t believe that I had found it that quickly in the exact spot they had searched and dug for hours the night before. I’m so glad that I could give you back your ring and finally start your vacation right.

 

Lost Ring in the Gulf – Orange Beach

  • from Orange Beach (Alabama, United States)

This was an awesome return!  My new friends Kathryn and Matt has been down from Ohio enjoying beautiful Orange Beach. Kathryn learned that there are positives when you solder your rings together but the big negative is that if you were to lose one, you lose all three. That’s exactly what happened when she was throwing a ball in about chest deep water and her rings went flying in the Gulf. She found out about me 2 days later and when she called she was very worried that she had waited too long and the rings were lost forever. I told her that I had a really good track record with rings in the water and that as long as it was still there and hadn’t sunk too deep in the sand, I thought I could find it. When I got there, the whole family was in attendance and although Kathryn was trying her best to appear optimistic, I could tell that she was truly worried. I felt for her and Matt and I got in the water on a mission. I heard a couple of higher tones which would not indicate gold but I always like to dig a few things so I can get idea of depth. I got a couple of coins in a row and I realized that I had told Kathryn and Matt that I would probably dig some other things but I had not told the whole family. I saw (maybe the brother-in-law) checking out my coin digging and I thought to myself that I needed to make sure I dug everything very visibly. I was excited when the very next tone I went over sounded like gold. I very gently dug it up and put it on my finger and starting wiggling my fingers so the bro-in-law could see. When he realized I had it by the smile on my face, he yelled to Matt and Matt yelled to Kathryn. They all sprinted down to me and before I was even out of the water Kathryn was in tears and had her arms spread wide open for a hug. When Matt got choked up too I told them I knew how they felt and that’s why I do this. That will never get old. I’m so very happy for y’all!  Congratulations! 💍

Lost Ring at the Blue Angels – Found!

  • from Orange Beach (Alabama, United States)

This was a neat return!  Sarah was down from Huntsville, AL enjoying the Blue Angels show with some friends when unfortunately her solid gold University of AL School of Nursing ring slipped off of her finger. To make matters worse, it came off in about 3 feet of water. Luckily for Sarah, a few days later, I was in the area looking for another lost ring and I found it before she even knew about the Ringfinders. I am always telling my wife that if she will put her name in her jewelry, there’s a good chance that if someone like me finds it, they will make their way back home. Sarah helped me illustrate that point because she had her last name and her date of graduation inside the ring. I went into “Facebook Detective mode” 😄and quickly tracked her down. I think she was a little shocked when I sent her a PM that I had found her ring. When I learned that she has recently accepted a position as a nurse in Hematology Oncology in Nashville, I wouldn’t even let her pay for the shipping to get her ring back to her. As you can see by her picture, she was thrilled to get it back. Sarah, I hope God blesses you in your chosen profession and you have your ring for many years to come. 👍

-Dave

Lost ring while playing football, Springfield, Ill…..found and returned!

  • from Sanford (Florida, United States)
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While visiting with good friends in Springfield, Illinois, I mentioned that I had my metal detector in the car and would be willing to look for anything they might have lost in their yard over the years. They remembered one special ring that was lost 15 years ago during a touch football game. Apparently the youth group from their church would come out and play games, have bonfires and spend the evening on the farm. Our friends kids always enjoyed playing games and their son, Kurt in particular, would set up a small area to play football. The youth group leaders would join the kids as they played and on that fateful day, Crista, felt her rings fly off of her hand as she went to catch the football. Everyone immediately stopped playing and they began searching for her two lost rings in the thick grass. Moments later one of the teens found her engagement ring but the small gold wedding ring was no where to be found. This particular ring was a family heirloom that was handed down to Crista from her grandmother. The lost ring was never found and they gave up hope of ever seeing it again. Over the years the ring slowly sank into the thick grass and damp soil but being made of gold, it never tarnished or corroded. Fifteen years later I was given the opportunity to search for this long lost ring. I set up 4 corner flags and started my grid search pattern. Being as the ring was rather thin, I figured I needed to dig every signal that sounded even close to what a small gold ring would sound like. Three hours later I dug a quiet repeatable signal and there in my pile of dirt I say the glint of gold! And sure enough it was Crista’s lost ring!
Many times lost rings remain very close to where they were originally lost. Maybe you know of a lost ring that was never found. Give me a call and we can discuss the possibilities of doing a search. Never hurts to ask!
Mike McInroe….always ready to help!

Lost gold ring at Daytona Beach, Florida….Found and Returned!

  • from Sanford (Florida, United States)
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While out searching the rough surf for a large gold necklace, I was getting tired and thirsty and decided to take a short break. As I sat there relaxing and enjoying the beautiful view of the Atlantic Ocean, a man approached me and explained his dilemma. Two weeks earlier, Teddy had been walking on the beach and towards the end of his walk he noticed a bunch of garbage in an area of the soft sand and decided he would do the noble thing and pick up the trash and deposit it where it belonged…..in the garbage can! Earlier in his walk, he had been fiddling with his ring and for some « unknown » reason he slipped the ring onto his pinkie finger, where it was a tad loose.
He proceeded to pick up the garbage, bending over to retrieve each item and he put it all into a small plastic grocery bag, which was then thrown into the appropriate can. And when he walked up to his apartment he noticed his ring was no longer on his finger and immediately Teddy returned to the garbage can and pulled out the bag. But his ring was not in amongst the garbage so he retraced his steps and soon realized that the ring had probably slipped off and into the dry, soft sand.
For two weeks Teddy waited to ask someone with a metal detector to help him locate his lost gold ring and when he spotted me in the surf with my Whites Dual Field metal detector he boldly approached me with his story and I was more than willing to lend him a hand. It took a half hour to cover the small area where Teddy picked up the trash and there close to the concrete steps was Teddy’s lost ring, hiding under a couple inches of sand. Glad you asked for my help Teddy! And I know there are allot of other people out there who need my help as well! Call, text or email me, ASAP!
Mike McInroe….glad to be a member of theringfinders.com

Lost ring in sand at Daytona Beach, Fl……Found!

  • from Sanford (Florida, United States)
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Jan. 1st, I received this comment on one of my ring search stories. Rich wrote, « I believe I lost my ring on the beach approximately 50 yards to the right–facing the ocean–from the end of the Oceanview parking lot wooden walkway. It may have slid off my finger when I shook out my wife’s towel. It is a simple gold Florentine wedding band with « Marla love Oli 1974″ engraved on the inside. By some stroke of luck if anyone finds it, please notify me. Thanks, Rich » So I sent Rich an e-mail and asked him my usual questions, like: « What day and what time of the day were you on the beach and shook out your towel? » And « When can you meet me and show me the exact place where you were on the beach? » And, « And it sounds like you are not exactly sure that you lost it on the beach! » Rich’s response was « I am sorry, but I forgot to mention that I am in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area and was vacationing in Florida when I lost my ring. »
Thankfully Rich was able to give me precise details about where they were on the beach and what the area looked like. He even sent me a link to a google map with a pin of where they were when he shook out their towels. One of his descriptions of the beach indicated that there was soft sand and a long row of seaweed close to where they were sitting. That is what it looked like on Dec. 26th–the day after Christmas. But when I arrived at the beach, 9 days later, it was totally different looking. Sometime between Dec. 26th and Jan. 4th we had some really big waves with extra high surf. Enough to take a good 3 feet of sand off the upper beach area. There was literally no soft sand, except way up on the dunes. So I set up my 4 flags in the target area and looked for 4 hours and no ring. I did find lots of other targets–185 to be exact! Old crusty, green coins, fishing weights and all sorts of items. I sort of figured the ring would not be there after so much erosion and made plans to come back the following Sat. to look again. When I arrived on Saturday, the tide was a bit higher than I expected and I wound up searching higher up the beach and after digging more green coins and fishing weights—to my surprise up pops Rich’s lost gold wedding ring! I could hardly believe it was still in the same general area after all that erosion. I determined that a mans gold ring is quite different than a coin in that it does not slide and move around like a coin would. As the waves wash over it, back and forth, it tends to go down because of the hole in the center.
Rich was thrilled to hear that I found his ring and I was able to mail it to him the next week. All told, I searched 5 and a half hours and dug 185 targets, while looking for Rich’s ring. And it was so worth it!! Lost your ring? Call ASAP!
Mike McInroe, in sunny Florida

Tiffany Ear Ring Lost on Soccer Field .. Newport Beach

  • from Newport Beach (California, United States)

 

Friday afternoon Megan had been playing soccer at Arroyo Park in Newport Beach, CA. After battling with another player for possession of the ball she realized that one of her Tiffany ear rings was missing. She had a good idea where the ear ring could be because it happened right on two lines that mark the playing field.
After several hours crawling and feeling in the thick grass she was unable to locate the small ear ring. Saturday morning Megan did a Google search locating me on TheRingFinders.com . We met at the park an hour later. She had brought the other ear ring which helped me to set up my detector. I began by asking my questions to help me with the search. After hearing her story, I had to ask if she won the battle for possession of the ball.
There was actually a soccer practice on the field, but I was able to swing the detector over the grass while the players were at the opposite end of the field. She was sure that it would be in a 10 ft. square area next to the side lines. She was three or four feet off, it was just outside the sidelines. I doubt that anyone could have seen it as it was deep in the grass. Smiles and high fives from Megan and her friend. This ear ring was part of a three piece set given to her by a relative for her birthday last year.
It wasn’t an easy search because there was quite a lot of trash signals. I was surprised that I was able to pick the most likely tone from my CTX 3030 Minelab Detector and ID reading. Good equipment and the knowledge of how to use them make the difference for a successful search.

Sunday   September 12, 2015

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