underwater metal detecting Tag | The Ring Finders

Wedding Ring Recovered from Candlewick Lake, IL

  • from Lake Geneva (Wisconsin, United States)
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July 4th Paddleboard Mishap

July 4th, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the United States of America.  For many Americans that day, it was a day of gathering with friends and family.  A day off work.  A day to reflect and to relax.  To eat good food, paddleboard and… lose your wedding ring?  Jack’s Independence Day was memorable in more ways than one.  

Jack was paddleboarding. For many paddleboarders, the transition from knees to standing can be a struggle.  And like many paddleboarders, Jack’s paddleboarding turned to swimming, and in the process, his wedding ring slipped off his finger.  

The proverbial needle in a haystack pales in comparison to the task of finding Jack’s lost wedding ring in Candlewick Lake near Poplar Grove, IL.  Established in the early ‘70s, Candlewick Lake is a 210-acre lake in Boone County, IL.  Like many manmade lakes, it is generally shallow, has low to no visibility, and has a significant layer of mud at the bottom.  This makes these lakes especially difficult to search.

I met with Jack on July 7th.  After talking with him, I set out to search a rather large area.  Metal detecting is a game of inches.  One inch off while scanning an area could mean going home empty-handed.  It’s not always easy to pinpoint where you fell off a paddleboard 30+ feet from the shoreline.  And in the moment, most people are not thinking about a diver with a metal detector searching for the ring days later.

 I started my grid search, going back and forth, popping up every few feet to make sure I was staying on course.  Jack was helpful from the dock, directing me when I strayed.  There were lots of targets, so I had to sift through the mud for pennies, fishing lures, sinkers, pipes, etc.  I even found a fishing pole, but no ring.  Each time I turned around to start a new path, I watched the sun descend toward the horizon, and I knew I might just run out of time.  

I swam back to the dock and asked Jack to get into a kayak.  Could he put himself in the spot where he remembered falling in?  Once in position, I started scanning in concentric circles around his held position.  It wasn’t long before I hit a good signal, and after sifting through the muck, I felt the shape I had been hoping for.  I surfaced and swam over to Jack.  There was the smile I had been searching for nearly two hours.  His ring was found.

If you or someone you know has lost a phone, ring, or other jewelry item, please call.  The smiles I enjoy when returning lost items are one of the best parts of what I do.

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Wedding Ring Recovered from Geneva Lake

  • from Lake Geneva (Wisconsin, United States)
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Through a Crack in the Pier

I met Bob on Friday, July 17th, 2026, to look for his lost wedding ring.  Earlier that week, while Bob was visiting family near Lake Geneva, WI, he took a walk down to the pier.  For reasons I fail to recall, he took off his ring to keep it safe, and somewhere between leaving his finger and setting it on a table, it found its way between the boards of the pier and into Geneva Lake.

Before donning my diving gear, I listened to his story, and together we assessed which section of boards the ring most likely fell through.  To aid me while under the pier, I found a washcloth among some cleaning supplies that I fed down through the boards, held above with the leg of a chair. Once under the pier, I could look for the washcloth to pinpoint the search location.

The pier was expansive and stretched far out into the lake, making the dive deeper than I normally have to go.  My breathing device only gives me ten feet of diving depth, but once I got to the search zone, I was able to reach the bottom.

What first struck me were the dozens of fish under this pier. 

A fisherman’s paradise.  All kinds, sizes, swimming near and far.  The larger ones were not used to a human-sized fish in their territory and (thankfully) kept their distance.  I guess I wouldn’t be alone for this search.

The bottom was free of seaweed and had a hard-packed gravel bottom.  This was great news and made for a quick search.  I dug a few targets, just to make sure I wouldn’t miss the ring, and within about 30 minutes I had the ring snug on my finger.  

When I surfaced, Bob was up at the house having dinner with his family.  I texted him, “I think I have something that belongs on your finger.”

In a few minutes, I could see Bob’s eager smile from a distance, and I was so pleased to return it where it belonged.

If you or someone you know has lost a phone, ring, or other jewelry item, please call.  The smiles I enjoy when returning lost items are one of the best parts of what I do.

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Google Pixel 3 Recovered from Whitewater Lake, WI

  • from Lake Geneva (Wisconsin, United States)
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August 24, 2025

Watch Recovered from Whitewater Lake, WI

When Mitch texted me on a Saturday with the hopes of recovering his Google Pixel 3 from the muddy depths of Whitewater Lake, I was leaving to dive Geneva Lake to help find a lost ring (see Bigfoot Beach Rescue).  Getting to Whitewater, WI before nightfall was not going to happen.  

How about Sunday?  He was leaving the cabin on Whitewater Lake for the Chicago area Sunday afternoon ahead of the workweek.  Would there be a time on Sunday morning then?  My standing Sunday morning commitments precluded me from a morning search.  That left a small window early Sunday afternoon.  Not ideal, but worth a try.       

I arrived a little after 1:00 pm, donned my wetsuit and diving equipment, and talked with Mitch about how he lost it.  

The day before, he was cooling off about 10-15 feet from the shoreline when his watch slipped off.  He attempted to retrieve it himself, but like many of the dam-created lakes in Wisconsin, the water is murky and the bottom soft and muddy.  These types of lakes make recovering lost items especially difficult due to low visibility and the tendency for items to submerge into the mud.

My experience diving this kind of lake was confirmed.  Zero visibility, soft, deep mud underfoot.  I swam out to the approximate area and turned to look at Mitch on the dock.  He gave me a thumbs up confirming the starting point was a good one.

I attempted to follow a grid search pattern, but found it very difficult to do with no visibility.  After I searched what I thought was a straight line, I surfaced to check my position only to find I was off.  As a backpacker, I’ve heard of the “circling effect” of hikers attempting to navigate without a compass.  “Without a compass, a lost person tends to walk in circles due to a lack of external reference points and the accumulation of small, random errors in the brain’s navigation system. This behavior has been scientifically verified through experiments where people in dense forests and deserts were tracked via GPS.” says Google’s Gemini AI, citing www.sciencedaily.com.  

 

 Apparently the same can happen with divers in low visibility water.  For over an hour, I swam a line, surfaced, reoriented, dove, swam a line, and repeated this over and over with no success.  I was wearing myself out and losing hope along the way.

I returned to shore to rest, catch my breath, and ask a few more questions.  I showed Mitch the few trash items I did recover.  Thankfully, Mitch offered to get in the lake with me, and swim to the location where he best remembered losing the watch.  Taking a metal leaf rake with him, he swam out and jammed the rake deep into the mud so he would have something to stabilize his position.  

In the end, this was the best idea of the day.  Once he was positioned, I swam out to him and began to search.  Sweeping with my metal detector, it seemed only moments later that I heard the sound I was looking for.  It wasn’t long before my hand grasped what I knew was his watch.  I surfaced, holding the watch up, and grunted out something through my regulator to get his attention.  When I was close to him, I saw his hands underwater and placed the watch into his, and then let go.  We both swam to shore.

Needless to say, we were both relieved and glad to be out of the water.  And yes, the watch still worked.  If it wasn’t for Mitch being willing to get back in the lake (and it was a bit chilly) and orienting himself by memory, I don’t think we would have had success.

Returning lost items to people never gets old.  It’s great to have a hobby that brings joy to myself and others.

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August 2022: Found and returned two phones lost kayaking in Occoquan River.

  • from Fairfax (Virginia, United States)
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I’m a Search and Recovery expert with the knowledge, skill, and experience to recover your lost items on land and underwater. Please text or call as soon as possible: (703) 598-1435

Click Here for the Video Link!

Patrick and Kelly were regular renters of kayaks from Penguin Paddling, in Occoquan Virginia. Even though they were familiar with the river, disaster struck when there was an unexpected current. The kayak flipped and their phones sank. Patrick called and told me how one of the phones contained

The Dive Site

their wedding planning information. The wedding was only weeks away, and the information was irreplaceable.

Dive 1: Mrs. Ellis (my safety diver) and I met Patrick and as there was no shore entry, we canoed to the area where the phones were lost. Visibility in the water was about four feet, and the depth was about ten feet. There were large boulders and that meant I had to slowly search in every crevice. Fortunately, I only needed a light, and not my metal detector. There were eels, crawdads, fishing lures, and boat anchors wedged between the boulders. When you watch the video, you can see a barbell someone used as an anchor.

 

Entry Area

 

 

 

First Phone

I searched the drop area and found Patrick’s phone in about twenty minutes. Kelly’s phone had the wedding information. We spent the rest of the afternoon searching for her phone, but to no avail.

 

 

 

Ring Finder Ray Jones

Dive 2: Two days later, Patrick again met to continue the search and help with all the equipment and the canoe. I expanded the search area but did not locate the phone.

Dives 3 & 4: It wasn’t until five days later that I was able to make another search. This time my friend and fellow Ring Finder Ray Jones came to help. Ray also searched the area and did not find the phone. I modified my search with ropes using a modified jackstay to search further downriver. I finally found Kelly’s phone about 130 feet from the initial drop area.

Kelly’s Phone Found!

 

Smiles!

I removed the SIM card and put the phone into a bag of rice. The happy couple met with me the next day so I could return the phone. Despite being underwater for nine days, Kelly’s iPhone was able to charge her phone and she retrieved their wedding plans!

Happy Wedding Day!

My thanks to Mike from Penguin Paddling (Home Page Penguin Paddling LLC), who referred me to Patrick and Kelly. Patrick was a great beach watch and provided an excellent account of the incident which greatly aided in the search. Most of all thank you to my wife for her safety and Dive Master support and expert bubble watching for many hours.

 

Rob Ellis: Search and Recovery Expert… Call/text ASAP, (703)-598-1435

 

(20+) Robert Ellis | Facebook

 

Don’t give up. Many of my clients have bought, borrowed, or rented a metal detector before calling me. Just because someone has a tool, it doesn’t mean they know how to use it. I use state of the art equipment, and I have thousands of hours of experience searching on land and underwater. If you have tried using a detector without success, please call to see if I can help.

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iPhone 13 Lost and Found Under Water, Occoquan River, Virginia

  • from Fairfax (Virginia, United States)
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August 7th: Found and returned an iPhone 13 Pro Max lost from a dock.

I’m a Search and Recovery expert with the knowledge, skill, and experience to recover your lost items on land and underwater. Please text or call as soon as possible: (703) 598-1435

Ash was working hard at his job with the Carefree Boat Club when his phone slipped out of his pocket and fell into the water. His brother, Time, met me in Woodbridge after I’d recovered a ring and asked me for a business card. Ash called me using Times phone and asked for my help. I agreed to meet Ash at the dock the next morning.

Search Area

Mrs. Ellis (my safety diver) and I arrived around 11am. As always, we checked the conditions before unpacking the equipment. While on the dock, we met Time who showed us where the phone was lost. When Ash arrived, he provided a detailed description of the incident and location. Visibility in the water was about two feet, and the water was about nine feet deep.

Water View

When the phone landed in the water, it planed, much like a paper airplane does when it’s thrown. It ended up under the dock. Nevertheless, I recovered the phone in a record breaking 6 minutes! As I touched the phone, I was surprised to see the screen light up. However, I should not have been surprised, as the newer iPhones are quite water resistant.

Ash, Rob, and Time

Ash’s iPhone 13

 

 

 

Thank you to Mike from Penguin Paddling (Home Page Penguin Paddling LLC), who rearranged the Kayak rental fleet for our dive! And thanks to Ash’s brother Time, who remembered me from a previous ring search!

Rob Ellis: Search and Recovery Expert… Call/text ASAP, (703)-598-1435

 

 

 

 

Don’t give up. Many of my clients have bought, borrowed, or rented a metal detector before calling me. Just because someone has a tool, it doesn’t mean they know how to use it. I use state of the art equipment, and I have thousands of hours of experience searching on land and underwater. If you have tried using a detector without success, please call to see if I can help.

Rob Ellis: Search and Recovery Expert… Call/text ASAP, (703)-598-1435    (20+) Robert Ellis | Facebook

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Aggie Ring and Wedding Ring Lost in MUCK in Ennis, Texas Lake

  • from Dallas (Texas, United States)
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We got a call from a young man who had been riding a horse with his wife and decided to cross the lake to the island in the center.  As they entered the MUCKed Up section the young man’s horse sank up to his belly in the MUCK.  He crawled off his horse and crawled through the MUCK to the shore.  Concerned that they would need a tractor to get his horse out he sent his wife to get a ranch hand to assist.  But the horse was able to break free and get himself out.  Then he realized that both his Aggie Ring and his Cobalt Ring were gone.  He looked over at the MUCK and thought the worst.  He may never see his rings again.

Then he checked the all knowing “Google” to rent a metal detector and during his search the Dallas Ring Finders listing came up.  We scheduled to come in the next day.  We were able to locate both rings in under a minute, see the full video on our channel “Dallas Ring Finders”, another happy customer  for the Dallas Ring Finders.

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Gold Ring, Lost and Found Under Water, Woodbridge, Virginia

  • from Fairfax (Virginia, United States)
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June 28th: Underwater Metal Detecting, Ring Returned.

I am an expert metal detectorist with the knowledge, skill, and experience to recover your lost items on land and underwater. Please text or call as soon as possible: (703) 598-1435

EZ Cruz Marina

John was enjoying an afternoon of boating with his father and rest of the family on Father’s Day. They stopped at EZ Cruz Marina to fuel up, and John jumped into the water. His beautiful ring decorated with diamonds and Claddagh symbols slipped off his finger. John called and we arranged to meet at the marina.

Search Area

 

 

 

 

 

Mrs. Ellis (my safety diver) and I arrived around 10am, we introduced ourselves to the EZ Cruz staff, and started to prepare. We evaluated the conditions. Water visibility was poor, and the water was about seven feet deep. When John arrived, he showed us exactly where and how he jumped in.

FOUND!

Ladder Entry

Circular Search Device

 

I decided to use my circular search pattern device I made just for these types of situations. Entering the water around noon, I worked through various trash targets including weights, glasses, and fishing rods. After about an hour I was able to find John’s beautiful ring!

Ring

 

 

Smile!

For my detecting friends, my Equinox 800 with a Coiltek 10×5 had a VDI of 22-24 for ring of un-known gold content.

Rob Ellis: Metal Detector Expert… Call/text ASAP, (703)-598-1435

Don’t give up. Many of my clients have bought, borrowed, or rented a metal detector before calling me. Just because someone has a tool, it doesn’t mean they know how to use it. I use state of the art equipment, and I have thousands of hours of experience searching on land and underwater. If you have tried using a detector without success, please call to see if I can help.

 

 

 

(20+) Robert Ellis | Facebook

 

 

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Lost and Found Ring, Underwater, Port Royal, Va

  • from Fairfax (Virginia, United States)
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June 2nd, 2022: Rob and Ray Recovered a Tantalum Wedding Ring lost in the Rappahannock River

I am an expert metal detectorist with the knowledge, skill, and experience to recover your lost items on land and underwater. Please text or call as soon as possible: (703)-598-1435

 

Ray with stick showing depth

On the last day of April, Scotty was fishing off the end of a pier when his new wedding band slipped into the water. He quickly noted where the ring had dropped in relation to the wooden structure. Because I was not available to search, I asked my friend Ray Jones to help. The depth off the fishing platform is about neck deep, depending on the tide. In spite of a current and low visibility, Ray was able to remove many misleading targets consisting of lead weights, fishing lures, coins, and other items. Even though he was wearing a wetsuit, Ray was unable to remain in the cold water and called off the search for that day.

 

 

 

Ray

I joined Ray for the next search. Because of conflicting schedules and storms, we were not able

Rob and Ray

to meet until June 2nd. I was the lucky one to find the ring, but it was truly a team effort.

 

 

 

Scotty Smile

Scotty’s Tantalum Ring

 

Ring Underwater

Crawdad Helping Me Search

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For my detecting friends, the Tantalum ring had a 23 VDI on my Equinox with a Coiltek 10X5.

 

 

Don’t give up. Many of my clients have bought, borrowed, or rented a metal detector before calling me. Just because someone has a tool, it doesn’t mean they know how to use it. I use state of the art equipment, and I have thousands of hours of experience searching on land and underwater. If you have tried using a detector without success, please call to see if I can help

Rob Ellis: Metal Detector Expert… Call/text ASAP, (703) 598-1435

(20+) Robert Ellis | Facebook

 

 

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Smartwatch found underwater, Pleasants Landing Marina, Lake Anna, VA

  • from Fairfax (Virginia, United States)
Contact:

November 9th: Found and returned a Samsung smartwatch lost in October.

I am expert metal detectorist with the knowledge, skill, and experience to recover your lost items on land and underwater. Please text or call as soon as possible: (703)-598-1435

 

It was a warm October 21st, so I decided to do some underwater detecting at Pleasant’s Landing on Lake Anna, Virginia.

Pleasants landing serves as a park and a marina. Shaped like Florida with over 2,600 feet of Lake Frontage, there is lots of room for all lake activities. Pleasants Landing is one of two public beaches on Lake Anna with the other being at Lake Anna State Park.

Upon arrival, I met Mike and Esmond and asked if I could do some shallow diving. They gave me permission and pointed out that it was good timing due to less boat traffic around the docks. Just off the beach, I found modern coins, sunglasses, and fishing weights. I found nothing of value, but it’s still a fun way to keep up my skills.

 

Before my second tank, I met and spoke with the marina service manager, Vincent. He told me there were a couple of boat gas caps right off the fueling dock. I did a quick exploration around the dock area and picked up some fishing rods, sunglasses, two gas caps, and a large watch. After the dive, I showed the staff my finds and gave Vincent the gas caps to be reused if at all possible. It wasn’t until I got home and washed the layer of muck off the watch that I discovered a Samsung smartwatch.

Unfortunately, the battery had run out and I had no way to trace the owner. I took me a while, but I finally figured out how to use reverse wireless charging with my phone to charge the watch. After a few phone calls, I was able to contact Joey, the owner of the watch. He couldn’t believe someone found his watch and had given up on ever seeing it again. We were able to meet up at Pleasant’s Landing where I was able to return the watch.

Esmond, Joey, and Rob

Don’t give up. Many of my clients have bought, borrowed, or rented a metal detector and then called me. Just because you have a tool, doesn’t mean you know how to use it. I have thousands of hours detecting on land and underwater. If you have tried using a detector without success, please call to see if I can help.

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Plumber Looses Ring While Digging Ditch in Dallas

  • from Dallas (Texas, United States)
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We got a call from a local team of plumbers who were digging a ditch in the cold December Texas weather and one of the men lost his wedding ring.  He was frantic, fortunately, we were available and went quickly to the site.  The hole was 4ft deep and full of horrible muddy water and muck.  After several passes with our large Metal Dectortors, we switched to our handheld detectors and checked all the walls by nearly standing on our heads reaching into the mucky muddy water hole.  But luck & skill were with us and we FOUND the man’s ring.  He was so excited, it was so funny watching 4 big plumbers jumping up and down and dancing in the front yard of the home.

Another successful Find for the Dallas Ring Finders

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