🚨 LOST HEIRLOOM ON SEBAGO LAKE! 🚨
👉 A 56-Year-Old Father’s Legacy, Saved From the Sand! 👇
I received a phone call from Angela on July 8th. 📞
She and her husband, Bill, had been enjoying an absolutely gorgeous Maine summer day at Rich Memorial Beach in Standish, Maine. 🏖️
This beach is a private beach on Sebago Lake Maine, just for Standish Maine residents. I knew this beach well from a two-ring search last summer.
🌊 THE HEARTBREAK
Angela told me that Bill was in the water, in about three feet of water, when his wedding ring fell into the lake. 🌊
Bill had felt and seen the ring falling into the water but just couldn’t catch it in time. After searching the sandy area where he had been standing for over an hour, he gave up and left for home.
Angela then told me that this wedding ring is not only Bill’s, but that this ring was also Bill’s late father’s wedding ring. Bill was very concerned that the ring wouldn’t be found. 🥺
⏱️ RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK
WOW!!! Another family heirloom lost, and I wanted to find this badly.
It was now just after 5:00 pm. By the time I loaded up my equipment and drove the 45-50 minutes up there, I wouldn’t have much time at all to search. ⏱️
Even though Bill and Angela knew the area the ring was in, it was just cutting it too close for a proper grid search before the beach closed for the day.
Rich Memorial Beach was reopening at 9:30 am in the morning. I agreed to meet them there as the beach opened and before it got busy. 👍
🔍 THE SEARCH BEGINS
Cheryl and I arrived at the beach just prior to 9:30 am. Bill and Angela were already there in the parking lot. After a few pleasantries, we all went straight down to the beach.
It was another beautiful day and the beach was not crowded yet. With only 5-6 people there, it was a perfect situation to search. 🔍
I wouldn’t be bothering any of the members, and the area I needed to search wouldn’t be disturbed.
If the area were full of swimmers and waders, the ring could possibly be moved to deeper water or pushed deeper into the soft sandy bottom, making a recovery more difficult.
Thankfully, we had this area of the beach to ourselves. 🙏
As I was putting my gear on, Bill and Angela were pointing out the area where the ring should be.
I could tell by the way Bill talked about his and his father’s ring just how much this ring meant to him. The love for his father was very obvious, and even though Bill was putting up a strong front, he wanted this family heirloom back. ❤️
Only one thing to do now—let’s go find this 56-year-old family heirloom ring! 🪙
🎧 THE FIRST TARGETS
I entered Sebago Lake, and even at this early time of day, the water was very warm and comfortable. Perfect!!! ☀️
As I walked out to the area, I asked the couple a few questions. « Were you this far out? Were you this far over? »
I wanted to start just a little further to the north and just a foot or so deeper in the water than Bill had been. I would grid search from north to south, parallel with the shore. 🗺️
When I passed the spot Bill had been in, Bill and Angela would let me know. At that point, I would take half a step toward the shore, turn around, and then head north toward the area I started in.
The water was so very, very clear. I was hoping to see the ring on the bottom, but as we all know, once a ring is in the sand, 99% of the time you won’t see it.
As I started my first pass of the grid search, I was praying I would find this ring fast and get it back on Bill’s finger. 🙏
I was just a few minutes into the first pass when I received my first target. It was a nice, low tone that I had hoped to hear. 🎧
I took a scoop of sand and sifted it out, leaving many small rocks. I didn’t see a ring, and actually, I didn’t see any metal at all.
I rechecked the hole, and the target was gone. After searching the scoop and hole a second time, still nothing.
I surmised it was a small piece of aluminum that had made its way out of my scoop through one of the holes. That happens all the time with very small pieces of metal. 🪙
✨ FLASH OF GOLD!
Okay, back to the search.
I took about 2–3 steps and received another target, and this one was louder. 💥
I took a scoop of sand, and as I was sifting it out and bringing it out of the water for a look, I caught a glimpse of gold! ✨
I now had the scoop out of the water, and I could see a gold ring!
I reached into the scoop, fumbling around the rocks, and grabbed the wedding ring. 🤩
With Bill, Angela, and Cheryl on shore, I asked, “Did you say it was yellow gold?”
I held the ring up so all could see, and Bill said, “You’re the man!” 🙌
WOW!!! Not even 5 minutes, and I felt great knowing Bill would be putting his and his father’s ring back on. The stress and anxiety for Bill and Angela was now over. 🤗
😂 A MOMENT OF PANIC?
As I was walking out of the water, I could see the big smiles on their faces. 🧑🤝🧑
When I arrived on shore, I held the ring up and said, “Is that it?”
Bill started walking toward me, looked at the ring, and said, “That’s… Oh, that’s not it.” 😳
He then quickly said, as he took the ring, “Yeah, yeah, that’s it!” 😂
We were all laughing at this point, and thankfully, Bill and Angela were no longer worried about this very sentimental, cherished wedding ring.
💫 THE POWER OF A STORY
The couple told Cheryl and me that when Bill’s father passed away many years ago, Bill received his dad’s wedding ring. 🕊️
When Bill and Angela were married 23 years ago, there was no question that Bill would wear his father’s ring to honor and show his love for his father.
I often mention that every ring has a story, and this ring’s story shows a love and legacy between a father and son that, after all these years, is as strong as it has ever been. 💫
We are so proud to be able to help people like Bill and Angela in their time of need. We have the best job in the world. We love our job. 🤝
“Remember, If It Matters To You, It Matters To You, It Matters To Us”
