A pedal-boat ride ended on a frantic note when Delafield, Wisconsin resident, Peggy Roberts, waved at friends passing by. That was when the unthinkable happened.
Peggy’s normally-tight-fitting wedding ring of 40 years, flew off her hand and disappeared into the channel in front of their picturesque home. Peggy’s daughter quickly jumped into the chest-deep water to mark the spot. Meanwhile, Mark, Peggy’s husband assembled a buoy system by tying a brick and milk jug together. Dropping it into the water provided an invaluable reference point for the search to come.
Peggy located me on the Ring Finders directory of metal-detecting specialists. I received a text from her explaining the situation. What stood out most was, “Bottom is thick silt.” I knew from experience the “thick silt” is what I fondly call, “Wisconsin Pudding.” The “pudding” can vary in depth from a foot to several feet in places. Locating and recovering a ring in such circumstances can be very challenging. However, since the Robert’s daughter had been able to stand in the water and mark the spot, this offered hope. We agreed to meet on location the next day.
When I arrived, I quickly spotted the marker buoys out in the channel. Getting there with my gear was a challenge in the chest-deep water and knee-high silt. Three hours later, however, I still had not found the ring. The channel was full of metallic debris. Ferreting out a small wedding ring in those circumstances tested my recovery skills to their limits. That’s when Mark appeared on the family’s dock and quickly noticed the buoys had moved about ten feet! Channel currents, wind, and wakes from passing boats had slowly shifted the markers from their original position. Armed with this fresh information, I moved into the original area and soon heard a promising signal in my headset. Several scoops of silt later, Peggy’s love token lay nestled in the scoop amongst shells and aquatic plants. And the smile on the Robert’s faces tell the rest of the story!
If you or someone you know has lost a ring, even in ‘Wisconsin Pudding,’ don’t let its story end. Call me or a member of the Ring Finders near you. We would love to add your smile to our growing list of overjoyed clients.
No Comments »