Ring Finders Find iPhones Too! Serendipitous Return From The Waters of Waquoit Bay, Falmouth, Massachusetts

22 August 2026.

When I was searching for Rose’s wedding ring on a Washburn Island beach three days ago, one of the stray targets I recovered was an iPhone.  Hoping that I could wake it up enough to get some clues as to the owner, I rinsed it in fresh water when I returned home, dried it, and tried to turn it on, but it seemed to be dead.

My next step was to stow it in a sealed plastic bag with dessicant for 2 days and then try charging it.  This did bring it to life long enough to show a screen shot of a pair of cute children and a date & time: Sunday, August 9, 8:40.  I snapped a picture of the screen and posted it in ‘Fabulous Falmouth’ on Facebook.  Results were almost instantaneous!  A message from Angela identified the phone as belonging to her husband Chad, and several other comments provided confirmation.

This morning I dropped the phone off at Angela and Chad’s home.  They explained that they were shuttling items back and forth between their boat and the beach, and Chad’s phone, which had been sitting on a cooler, at some point took the plunge, not to be noticed until later.  Hopefully the phone will recover from its aquatic excursion, or at least its data will be recoverable.  And, I got to meet a very nice family!