#metaldetecting Tag | The Ring Finders

Lost Cell Phone, Lake Geneva, WI

  • from Lake Geneva (Wisconsin, United States)

I’m an elementary school teacher.  It’s a great profession, but comes with stresses that I’d rather not bring home to my family.  It was a Tuesday afternoon in April.  School dismissed, and I decided some detecting time at my local beach might help me clear my head before heading into the evening with my wife and kids.  

      Three were a handful of people on the beach, enjoying a bit of sun that was trying to peek through the clouds.  I was crouched down working on a signal when a man approached me and asked if my detector could find a missing cell phone.  Mohammed explained that his wife had lost her new cell phone in the sand.

I eagerly told him yes, and finished digging my target.  It turned out to be a penny.

The city had recently dumped large piles of sand on the beach in preparation of spreading a fresh layer prior to the summer season.  Mohammed and his wife were sitting on one of these piles and discovered the phone was missing.  

They tried calling the phone, to no avail.  

A few minutes of sweeping the mound revealed the phone.  When I pulled it out of the sand, it was ringing.  They were down the beach looking in other areas.  I answered the phone and said,  “I found it!”

They were elated.  They ran to meet up with me with fist bumps and thank yous.  It was a right place-right time situation.  

When I got home that night, I was destressed from my day in the classroom, and I was pleased to help out this kind and grateful couple.

Lost Ring, Lake Geneva, WI

  • from Lake Geneva (Wisconsin, United States)

“Daddy! Daddy!” my six-year old blubbered, tears streaking her cheeks as she ran to the car.  Throwing the car in park and opening the door, I could see there was indeed a crisis.  Was she stung by a wasp?  Did she fall and bloody her knee?  Perhaps there was a conflict with her older sister over who gets to be next on the tire swing.  

As I crouched next to her, hugging her closely, she whispered, “Oh, Daddy…  I lost it!”  

“What, Honey?  What did you lose? » I asked.

She was holding her favorite doll, Sally.  Sally… with her blue dress and matted-brown hair, little tattoo lines on her legs and arms from when my daughter was first learning how to hold a pen.  I knew Sally wasn’t missing, so what had she misplaced?

“My ring, Daddy.  My bunny ring.  I lost it in the woods.”

I smiled and nearly laughed out loud.  She had lost her ring—her metal ring.  

I’ve been metal detecting for nearly three years, and have been part of The Ringfinders network for two of those years.  I constantly show my four children all of my “treasures” and often get complaints if I mention bringing my detector on a family outing.  You you… just in case.  

“Honey, do you know anyone who might be able to find a missing metal ring?”  And I smiled.

Like the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Plaza, she lit up from head to toe up with her new realization.  

My daddy has a metal detector.

I opened my trunk, took out and turned on my detector in one smooth motion, and walked over to a hammock that hangs on the edge of the woods.  Minutes later, her bunny ring was back on her finger and a smile replaced her tears.  Dad the superhero; just what every dad longs to be for his daughter.

 

Although I enjoy helping strangers find lost items, this might be my favorite recovery so far.

Lost Class Ring Recovered, Lake Geneva, WI

  • from Lake Geneva (Wisconsin, United States)

57 Years

The forecast for Friday, July 9th, 2021 was full sun with a high of 72 degrees.  I figured it would be like most days metal detecting… a gamble.  Would I come home with anything noteworthy?  Or would it be a morning where I simply got out and under the waters of Geneva Lake, some time to mingle with the panfish and smallmouth bass, sand, and seaweed.

After sliding into my wetsuit and loading the car with my gear, I was off to detect at my favorite beach.  Little did I know that today’s find would transport me back to the year the Beatles first performed on the Ed Sullivan Show, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. received the Nobel Peace Prize, and the Surgeon General reported that smoking may lead to lung cancer.  

Detecting around a swim pier is slow, sometimes tedious work.  I’m not sure the order of my finds, but along with a half-dozen bobby pins, washers and nails, and hair ties, I pulled up a 1941 Mercury Dime and two junk rings.  

My next find was almost effortless.  It was in fact only a few inches under.  After a bit of stirring and pushing aside debris, I revealed gold—big gold—a bulking, shining class ring.  I studied it underwater, looking for a stamp inside the band.  There it was, “10K”.  Jackpot!  And then I noticed three letters stamped into the band in ornate cursive, “F.E.C.”

Connecting lost items with the owners is rarely easy.  But, this ring was different.  I not only had one piece of evidence- the initials F.E.C.—but I also had a year—1963—and a high school from New Jersey.    

I stared at the Google search engine box and typed in Bogota High School, New Jersey.   I quickly found the high school and began to look for phone numbers, maybe of the high school librarian.  I figured there was a dusty yearbook from 1963 that someone could leaf through on my behalf, looking for a name that matched my “F.E.C.”  As it turned out, there was a sparkly digital version of the 1963 yearbook that I could swipe through all by myself.  Just pages in, I got to the senior photos: black and white faces of eager high schoolers, ready to break out into the world, just as the Beatles would soon be breaking into the hearts and homes of Americans.  I slowly studied each name.  Finally I was rewarded with the entry I needed—in all caps—FRANCIS EDWARD CONDON in a white shirt, dark tie, and tweed sport coat.  

I now had a name and face, albeit a face from 58 years ago.  If he was alive, he would be nearing 78 years old.  Could I find him, or at least his family?  That would come, but months later.

For months off and on I tried searching online.  People-finding services all turned up dead ends or those much younger or older than Mr. Condon.  On September first, I was directed by other metal detectorists to try the website True People Search.  Minutes later I had five phone numbers for a 77 year-old Floridian named Francis E. Condon.

I stepped outside and into my driveway to get away from the clatter of four children.  After dialing the fifth and final number I expect the same dead end.  “Hello?”  a woman’s voice answered.  

“Hello, I replied.  I’m looking for a ‘Francis Edward Condon.’  I think I have something that belongs to him.  Is he available?”

Over the next few minutes I spoke with Mr. Condon, my voice jumpy with excitement.  It was clear after two questions that this was the man I was searching for.

Question 1: Have you ever been to Lake Geneva, WI?  Answer: Yes

Question 2: Did you ever lose anything there?  Answer: Yes, my class ring.

There was a big celebration on my end.  But a bigger one was coming.  

“Sir, I have to ask, when did you lose it?”  (After all, Lake Geneva is a tourist town, with lots of visitors.)  In my mind’s eye I could see an older man, fingers wrinkled with time, gripping the white edge of the swimming pier.  Perhaps he had been watching his grandchildren showing off their very best cannonballs.  His hands were clapping vigorously as a smile shot out of the water.  “What did you think of that one, Grandpa?”  And then, the sound… plunk! The empty spot on the ring finger, the weight of 8 grams of gold, suddenly missing.  

But none of the above fantasy was true.  The hand that lost the ring was young and vigorous, grandchildren were decades in the future.  The hand… and the ring, were from a newly-enlisted soldier in the spring or summer of 1964.  Kamala Harris, Michelle Obama, and Jeff Bezos were unknown in 1964—they were busy being born.  

This high school ring, the one I held in my hand, dropped into Geneva Lake in 1964 and fell out of sight for 57 years.  My mind was swimming.

*  *  *

Mr. Condon received his ring back on Sept. 13th, 2021.  He slipped it on and sent me a photo of his smile.

People often ask, “What’s the best thing you’ve ever found?”  My reply is always— stories.  I know that’s not what they want to hear, but I would trade any ring, coin, or old button for the story behind it.  Most of the time the story goes untold.  This is one I have enjoyed telling over and over again, and it never ceases to amaze me every time I tell it.

14k ROSE GOLD WEDDING BAND LOST IN ROADSIDE DITCH In SUNDRIGE, ONTARIO

  • from Brampton (Ontario, Canada)

Nolan was working in Sunridge, Ontario staking out a utility vault in a ditch at the side of a roadway. He was brushing away his pants with wet hands when he noticed out of the corner of his eye his wedding band fly off.

Nolan’s 14 karat wedding band was custom designed by his Wife with a centre ruby in between two amethyst gemstones to match her engagement ring.

We agreed to meet this weekend very early morning as the Ontario Highway 400 northbound cottage traffic can be crazy.

With a strict grid search using my Minelab Equinox 800 metal detector and small stock coil I was able to locate Nolan’s wedding band in 2 1/2 minutes!

Check out the video;

A very happy young couple and another donation grateful received came into the Kelly Shires Breast Cancer Foundation!! Nolan received a tax receipt for his donation amount! #payingitforward!

Link to the charity (below) which I’ve been involved with for 13 years now with the last 4-5 years using my passion for metal/scuba dive detecting as a member of the global organization called “THE RING FINDERS”

Donation link;

https://secure.e2rm.com/p2p/fundraising/346100/participant/4882857/en-CA

One happy couple under their masks!

 

CELL PHONE LOST IN GIBSON LAKE, PORT SEVERN, MUSKOKA LAKE, ONTARIO

  • from Brampton (Ontario, Canada)

Megan was sitting out on a dock with a pile of Friends when someone fell into the lake. She jumped up to help and her cell phone fell into the waters dockside in Gibson Lake, Port Severn in beautiful cottage country of the Muskoka Lakes region in Ontario!

I headed up after work with my underwater metal detector and decided to use my new DIVE BLU3 NEMO hookah system with the 10’ hose instead of all my scuba gear! The Blu3 Nemo hookah system is around 15lbs and is perfect for any recoveries 10’ or less!! Beats dragging all the gear and heavy scuba tank(s)!! I love this little unit!

During my underwater grid search I had a visit from Mister Bass. I pulled up some cans, bungee cords, a hot wheels car and finally managed to find Megan’s cell phone in 10-15 minutes! Hopefully the bag of rice I supplied will help save her phone/photos from damage being in the water for a few days already!

Here is the video;

I have a call out fee. When I recover the lost item, I don’t take a reward! Instead, I request the client to ‘pay-it-forward’ with an immediate online donation to the Kelly Shires Breast Cancer Foundation! The client then receives a tax receipt for the amount donated!! This is my 13th year snowmobiling for the Kelly Shires!

Thank you Megan for calling upon me to help!

#Blu3Nemo #DiveBlu #hookah #DiveDetecting #Minelab #Excalibur2 #GibsonLake #PortSevern #Muskoka #MuskokaLakes #Ontario
#PinkPowerAlly #TreasureHunter #MetalDetecting #OntarioRingFinders #TheRingFinders

  

LOST RING IN BURLINGTON, NC…… FOUND

  • from Jacksonville (North Carolina, United States)

Shawn SGT Sherrill – Ring Recovery Specialist…Lost your ring?… Call/Text ASAP  Anytime 24/7   918-313-2202

I received a call from fellow ring finder « Doug Hardy » about a lost wedding set in someones backyard. He went and tried but the rain came in and he didn’t have enough time to continue. He asked if I would be able to go out and try. I said, « Sure, I will give her a call » I called Jaimie and got the details and I headed out there to see if I could find her lost rings.

After, about 30 mins of searching, I finally got the right signal I was looking for. BOOM got both rings and they were both still together too.

She was about 15 mins away at a baby shower, so I hoped in the truck, got the address and headed her way to reunite her with her rings.

Love this hobby, love reuniting folks with their lost treasures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for reading my blog, please tell your friends about TheRingFinder.com

 

LOST IPHONE ON HONEYMOON ISLAND…FOUND AND RETURNED!!!

  • from Dunedin (Florida, United States)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STEVE THOMAS    DUNEDIN RING FINDER

LOST A RING OR OTHER METAL VALUABLE?
CALL ME ASAP ANYTIME. (843)995-4719    THIS IS A FREE SERVICE, REWARD OPTIONAL BUT APPRECIATED

 

A few days ago I was detecting on Honeymoon Island. I found the usual handful of coins and scrap metal but as I was leaving the beach, I found an iPhone buried under about 2 inches of wet sand. I quickly removed the phone as the tide was about to cover it again and took my recovery photo in dry sand. I could not determine at that time if the phone was operational but it looked new. I stopped by the state park office on the way out to see if anyone had reported the missing phone to the park service but the office was closed. I returned home and cleaned the phone as best I could and attempted to charge it. The phone soon displayed a message which indicated it was lost and provided a phone number to call. Unfortunately, the number provided was the number to that phone but at least I heard a voice message which provided the first name of the owner. After about 30 minutes of online research with the assistance of my wife, we were able to email and Facebook message the owner who lived in our area. There was no immediate response but we also located a  friend of the owner in our research, contacted her, and she in turn contacted the owner’s fiancée. It wasn’t long before we received a call from the grateful owner. She said that she had lost the phone the day before. As it was fairly late in the evening by the time we made contact, we made the exchange through the local sheriff’s department.

Carolyn, I hope your phone is fully operational and I am glad I could return it to you so quickly after you lost it!

 

DROVE 2,764kms (1,717miles) for a 750/PLA HEIRLOOM ENGAGEMENT RING IN THUNDER BAY, ON

  • from Brampton (Ontario, Canada)

Received a desperate phone call from Maria that she lost her precious late grandmother’s engagement ring in the waters of an Ontario Park near Thunder Bay, Ontario.

I could hear the desperation in her voice but the thought of travelling 15 hours one-way was daunting.

I reached out to another ‘Ring Finder’ Ann who is listed in Peterborough, ON. Ann normally drives down to the Garrett Memorial metal detecting hunt in Texas and we’ve drove to a hunt last year in Chazy, New York. Ann is like me… we love to drive!

We set out on this incredible long distance journey, while swapping driving duties when our eyes started to cross while the other rested.

We arrived around 7 AM in the morning with thunder and lightning happening. We closed our eyes for a half hour rest and soon after the thunder stopped and the rain let up. We decided to “GO FOR IT” after all we were getting wet in the water anyways!

Prior to the trip I had Maria and her husband Thomas “Google Earth” the location and mark it up with an “X”. Originally I requested them to GPS the location but after more communications with Maria there was no cell reception there!

I grid searched and within 40 minutes I came across a double tone on my equinox 800 7/8 and 11/12 readings! Second scoop and there was Maria’s beautiful heirloom engagement ring in my sand scoop!!

We decided to leave immediately and hit the “Flying J“ for breakfast and conjured up a plan to surprise Maria! Check out the video of the phone call to her… PRICELESS!!!!

On the trip home it was pouring rain from the location until Orillia where I dropped Ann off at her vehicle at my good Friends Alan and Dale’s home. We both messaged at 4:00am that we were home safe!

Next day, I had 2 schedule recoveries to be completed. One the farmer found his keys and the other I decided to push back in order to meet up with Maria and Thomas! Maria was so thankful that we took on this crazy challenge of a drive and she was so very grateful we found her precious late Grand Mother’s engagement ring which is now a Family Heirloom!!

We would like to thank Ontario Parks for permission to allow us to metal detect to find Maria’s ring!!

Thank you Maria and Thomas for the generous donation to the Kelly Shires Breast Cancer Foundation!!


 

2018 RE-CAP OF RECOVERIES and RETURNS FOR MY RING FINDER CLIENTS

  • from Brampton (Ontario, Canada)

I am honoured to be finishing off 2018 with 13 successful clients and look forward to many recoveries and returns for 2019! I have met some really amazing people and raised over $1,300 going to the Kelly Shires Breast Cancer Foundation for my #PayItForward campaign using my metal/scuba dive detecting hobby raising donations which is all my reward monies going to this wonderful charity!

I have completed a compilations of most of my successes in this YouTube video

I had a few unsuccessful attempts but will be heading back to those locations this summer to continue searching. I will continue to search for some of the owners of the other rings I have found during searches using social media. THE WORLD NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT « THE RING FINDERS DOT COM » !!!

I wish all « The Ring Finders » dedicated MEMBERS/TEAM MEMBERS a very successful 2019!! Stay safe and keep the S*M*I*L*E*S coming!!

  

 

Tiffany & Co Platinum 950 wedding band lost in snow! Brampton, ON

  • from Brampton (Ontario, Canada)

Received a phone call from Steven during a search for lost keys in the snow for a lost Platinum 950 men’s wedding band in Brampton, Ontario. I advised that I will be happy to attend in a few hours after my ongoing recovery of lost keys.

Last Thursday and Friday was Southern Ontario’s first winter snow event….and guess what!! Here comes another round of ‘lost’ special items!!

I headed down to Brampton and met up with Steven. He advised that he was horsing around in the snow with his Brother and didn’t know if he lost it throwing snow or wrestling in the snow with his Brother….

Well, after a swing with the Minelab Equinox 800 and the hydro primary conductor and overhead secondary lines….there was a great deal of interference! So I swapped Noxie out to my #1 machine the Minelab Excalibur 2! Not only is the Excal2 amazing in water…and beach…it ROCKS on land and SNOW!!

Few minutes later after the switch…..BINGO IN THE  DRIVEWAY…..the wedding band was stuck in ice!! Little did I know it was a absolutely stunning and heavy « Tiffany & Company » ‘Double Milgrain’ wedding band! My FIRST T&C recovery and return. I am sure honoured they will be making a « PAY-IT-FORWARD » donation to my participation in the 2019 20th annual Kelly Shires Breast Cancer Foundation Snow Run in February 2019 in which they will receive a tax receipt from the foundation!

Here’s a link to the YouTube video for this recovery and return;

 

Thank you Stephen for your donation to my charity!! NO MORE SNOWBALLS LOL!!

 

  

November 18th, 2018