Keith Wille

Cost For My Service

Compensation for many lost possessions is reward-based. Typically searches begin at $75, with the exact fee determined before your appointment booking.

Search Types

Searches include private properties, beaches, parks, woods, fields, shallow water, snow, rocks, indoors, and vehicles.

My services include finding lost jewelry, searching for hidden or forgotten valuables, conducting historical property surveys, locating property markers, and tracing utilities such as water lines.

The equipment I use can find everything from tiny gold pieces on the surface to larger objects buried up to 20-feet underground.

Search Locations

I conduct metal detection and treasure hunting services based in Groton, Connecticut, with extended services in surrounding New England states. I can also travel by ferry to Block Island, Fishers Island, and Long Island.

Keith Wille's Bio

Treasure hunting started for me when I was in my early teens. I frequently listened to family members discuss 19th-century silver dollars lost behind the walls of my grandparent's 80-year-old home. Multiple family members attempted to recover the treasure, including hammering and chiseling access holes through the basement's thick concrete walls. Devices were even constructed to reach over the wall but to no avail. All it took to recover the lost treasure was a 13-year-old kid, some detective work to figure out exactly where the best access point was, a circular saw to cut through the closet floor above the hidden room, and my grandmother's 10-foot curtain rod with a large spoon taped to the end of it to scoop out the coin roll. I found my first treasure! (But was in big trouble for cutting the floor)

Metal detecting has been a hobby of mine for over a decade. That hobby, combined with the same detective work I used to find the coin roll decades ago, allows me to reunite families with lost items they never thought they would see again.

Accomplishments include:

Allstate estimates over $350,000 in lost jewelry and hidden cash has been found and returned.

Recognition from archaeologists and historians for recovering rare Pequot artifacts and the possible discovery of a 17th-century Pequot village, identified by Archaeologist Kevin McBride as Tatuppequauog, the "first forced settlement of native people."

Multiple media features including The New York Times, The New York Times Kids, The New Yorker, and Inside Edition.

Keith Wille - Recent Blog Post

  • THREE Lost Rings Found in the Snow! Morris, CT (2024)

    Three rings were lost while Emi played in the snow with her kid – Morris, CT. From Emi: “I lost three rings. An engagement ring, a wedding band, and an eternity ring. They are all gold with some diamonds. I was sledding with my child, and luckily for photos, we narrowed it to a small […]

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  • Lost Ring in Wooded Brush Found! Bridgewater CT (2024)

    A ring was lost while helping remove a tree limb from the roadway in Bridgewater, CT. From Nate: “I felt the ring come off at a substantial speed due to my hand being wet. I know exactly where I was standing, which direction I was facing, and which direction (roughly) the ring went. I heard […]

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  • Lost Diamond Ring Found in the Leaves! Newton, Massachusetts (2024)

    A diamond ring was lost while exercising and found in the leaves – Newton, Massachusetts! Samantha was on her deck exercising one morning. While doing jumping jacks, her gold diamond ring went flying off her finger. She heard it bounce on the wooden planks and disappear into the freshly fallen leaves. Unsure if the ring […]

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  • Lost Heirloom Wedding Band Found in the Yard! Carlisle, Massachusetts (2024)

    A lost heirloom wedding band found in a yard in Carlisle, Massachusetts! Nick was cleaning up the kiddie pool as part of his end-of-summer chores. He used a hose to rinse the pool parts off when he flung his hands to get the water off. A few minutes later, something didn’t feel right. He looked […]

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  • Lost Diamond Ring Found in the Sand! Watch Hill, Rhode Island (2024)

    A lost diamond ring was found in the sand in Watch Hill, Rhode Island! A Family was visiting the beach and was using the local facilities when disaster struck. The wife was shaking water off her hands as she walked through the sandy area when the ring flew off. Some hobbyist metal detectors happened to […]

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Keith Wille - Testimonials

  • I would hire him again in a heartbeat if it happened again. He's 100% legit and worth every penny. I am so grateful for his service and can't thank him enough! (2024)

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    "Rarely do I leave a review, but I was so impressed with Keith's quick find. Took him 30 mins to find 3 rings I had lost in the snow. I was out sledding with my kid after a fresh set of snow and of course, didn't think to wear gloves. It wasn't until much later that I noticed my rings missing, and after going through photos, we narrowed it down to a small timeframe. We bought a metal detector and searched out in the snow to no avail. I emailed Keith, and he got back to me early next morning with news that he could come in a few days as he was booked. Due to the snow, it seemed like it was a busy time. He came that Sunday and gave me a 2-hour window with an approximate eta. He showed up on time with a very serious metal detector and went straight to work after asking a few questions. He's a really nice guy with a warm but professional demeanor, and I would hire him again in a heartbeat if it happened again. He's 100% legit and worth every penny. I am so grateful for his service and can't thank him enough! Thanks, Keith!"

  • He was professional and efficient. He found the ring in less than an hour!” (2024)

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    I lost my wedding band and spent several hours, over several days, searching for it. I knew exactly where it was and even bought a metal detector to try and find it. When all hope was lost, I turned to Keith. It was more of a process than I thought, but not more than the ring was worth to me so, in the end, absolutely the best decision. He was professional and efficient. He found the ring in less than an hour!”

  • I am profoundly grateful for his help... (2024)

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    Having lost an heirloom (four generations back) wedding band in my yard, I was very anxious to find it. Hours of searching on my hands and knees and with a borrowed metal detector was fruitless. Keith and his wife came in and found it in about 15 minutes. I am profoundly grateful for his help. As with so many things in life, there is no substitute in this field for skill/experience and having the right equipment + knowing how to use it, and Keith ticks all these boxes. If you've lost something metal and have been unable to find it yourself, don't despair - get Keith involved.

  • Greatly appreciate his service, and would use him again if the need arose!” (2024)

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    “Can’t say how thankful I am to Keith for his service in finding my wedding ring after it slipped off my wet hand while finishing some work around my pool. Like a lot of folks, I took a quick look, didn’t find it, then headed to Walmart to look for a metal detector. In the world of “you get what you pay for”, this is especially true. After about 4 hours of working with that, I realized it was time to call in a professional. Keith was able to show up several days later, since it wasn’t urgent due to being on private property, and after about an hour; found my ring. Greatly appreciate his service, and would use him again if the need arose!”

  • “These guys are amazing!! (2023)

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    “These guys are amazing!! I never thought in a million years this ring could be found in the thickets in which it was deposited. If you need something found, definitely call them asap!! I thank them dearly????!”

  • Keith was great... (2022)

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    “Keith was great. If you ever lose a wedding ring on a beach you can trust Keith to help you find it.“

  • I would have never found that money, many thanks. (2022)

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    Keith Wille came to my family's house to uncover hidden treasure. Once we completed the assignment, Keith's natural curiosity asked if he could see my father's other hiding places. I shared with him the kitchen pantry, and told him my dad's letter said: "he took it out." Also, I had looked there myself with a step stool and didn't find anything. Within a matter of minutes, Keith handed me a small neatly folded silver foil packet and I opened it. To my surprise, there was $1,000.00 cash - 10 $100 bills. I told Keith, I would have never found that money, many thanks.

  • I highly recommend your service to others... (2022)

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    "Thanks, Keith! So grateful you found my ring! I highly recommend your service to others who have lost a special keepsake. Caroline"

  • If you've lost something cherished, Keith is the guy to go to! (2021)

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    "Keith is responsive, super-nice, knowledgeable, and found my heirloom engagement ring I lost in the snow! If you're in for a bit of a story, please keep reading. Otherwise, all you need to know is that Keith is the real deal. My fiancé Greg and I were on our way to watch the Super Bowl when I took my engagement ring off to put some hand cream on. No big deal, right? Well, I never ended up putting the ring back on. With my hands full, I hopped out of his truck and onto the driveway of our friend's house. The ring was unknowingly flung off my lap and into the driveway. It wasn't until we had gotten settled down inside that I noticed the ring was gone. What could have been an easy and routine find became nearly impossible due to a fresh coat of snow on top of about a foot of snow from a recent storm. In addition to this, our friend shoveled the remaining snow from the driveway into his yard after we had arrived, which further complicated the finding of the ring. Our entire group of great friends sprang into action in the search for the ring. We even used a metal detector! Yet still no luck. I was absolutely devastated. Any engagement ring is sentimental, but this is also an heirloom ring, which added even more feelings of guilt and helplessness. Greg began googling "how to find a lost ring in the snow." Google knows everything! He came across a site called The Ring Finders, where he found Keith. He sent Keith an email, and within hours, Keith got in contact with us, and we arranged a search. Despite nearly a 2-hour drive (each way!) and even more inclement weather, Keith made the trip to help us that evening. He assured us that if the ring was, in fact, there, he would find it. He was right! After an hour and a half or so of continued shoveling, chiseling, and searching through the snow and ice, Keith located the ring! We couldn't believe it! We were SO ECSTATIC! It almost felt like we got engaged all over again! If you've lost something cherished, Keith is the guy to go to! Thank you, Keith!!!

  • Thank the Lord for Keith... (2021)

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    Just this past year, life was a rollercoaster. My husband had recently gone overseas for a year, and I gave birth to my beautiful little boy. With my husband being gone and raising our baby, not only did he miss the birth, but he will be missing my birthday and our anniversary.

    We decided to upgrade my ring to make last year and this year a little bit more memorable. It signifies the bond we have created over these last 10 years, and nothing can stand in our way. Plus all the exciting things to come.

    When the rings flew off my hand in the snowstorm, I was devastated. The one thing to show and look on of our history together was gone. I searched for an hour before giving up and losing hope. Thank the Lord for Keith for coming as soon as he could and taking the time to shovel over two feet of snow to find my beautiful rings.

    He brought back so much joy not only to me but to my husband who is thousands of miles away.

  • I would never be able to find my ring without Keith! (2021)

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    Keith was excellent. I lost my wedding ring after slipped on ice and my ring flew off into a snow pile in a public area at 9 PM. I contacted Keith that night after searching for my ring for a few hours. Keith booked me for a search the next day. He came prepared with a plan and found my ring buried about a foot deep in the snow within the first half-hour of searching. He was extremely kind and quick! I would never be able to find my ring without Keith!

  • I can't recommend Keith enough! (2021)

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    I can't recommend Keith enough! He responded quickly to our call for help and arrived right when he said he would. He located my son's wedding band from a hole it had fallen in. He was calm and reassuring the whole time. This wedding ring was worn by his great great grandfather for over 50 years then passed to my dad, Andrew's grandfather, who wore it over 50 years then to Andrew. So you can see how important it was for us to get it back! Thank you so much Keith!

  • Thank you, Keith!" (2020)

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    "Keith came out twice to help me find my lost wedding ring. Great guy who is easy to work with and skilled at what he does. Thank you, Keith!"

  • Highly recommend." (2020)

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    "Keith is truly the best. I was skeptical but he went the distance taking a ferry to block island! He found my ring in the ocean!! I had someone else try before him and after twenty minutes he told me it was a lost cause.. Keith spent over 2 hours. On top of that, he’s a really good guy. Highly recommend."

  • “THANK YOU, Keith... (2020)

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    “THANK YOU, Keith, for reuniting me with my one-of-a-kind memento! It is so special to me, and I am so happy that I can proudly wear it for years and years to come.” – Emma

  • The greatest joy when it was found... (2020)

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    “An 8-year-old placed an earring on my surfboard without telling me and I moved my surfboard. Fortunately, Keith was in the area and volunteered his services to help the child that lost the earring. The greatest joy when it was found was by me since I am the one that dragged my daughter’s friend to the beach and I felt responsible for the lost earring. We had given up when Keith came by and tracked it down in about 5 minutes. A happy ending to a stressful surf session” – Jeff

  • Keith is a life saver! (2020)

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    Keith is a life saver! I lost my wedding ring on day one of our vacation. Keith responses quickly when I reached out. He was confident and reassuring. After 30 minutes Keith was able to retrieve my ring. Vacation saved! Anyone who needs help with finding their missing valuables should reach out to Keith. He is a wonderful person and true magician.

  • “The pendant was given to me by my father... (2020)

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    “The pendant was given to me by my father with my favorite thing in the world on it, a car, and the patriarch saint of travel, Saint Christopher. This is also where I got my middle name. I’ve had the pendant on me until the day I lost it. You found it within an hour and it was easily the best decision I’ve made. Now I can keep the family tradition alive and hand it down to the next generation… Well, I’ll hand it down as soon as they learn not to wear it at the beach. - Joe”

  • I cannot recommend him enough! He is amazing! (2020)

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    "I highly recommend Keith and his services. He is professional, easy to communicate with, empathetic, and takes a genuine caring – most importantly – he found my wedding ring within 30 minutes of combing the beach. I cannot recommend him enough! He is amazing!" - Kate Moore

  • Keith was very helpful and prompt... (2020)

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    Keith was very helpful and prompt. I lost my ring and I contacted Keith on a Monday night and he came out and found my ring at 0720 really helping ease my mind and letting me enjoy my vacation to the fullest – Brian Walsh”

  • His equipment and technique were impressive. We recommend him highly... (2020)

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    Keith Wille saved us last Sunday. Our daughter lost her engagement ring while gardening in Westport, Mass. We rented a metal detector and spent two hours searching the dirt, the weed pile and the paths on

    the grass, all to no avail. Someone suggested either renting a more professional metal detector or, better yet, a professional metal detectorist. My wife did a google search and Keith’s name came up, along with

    a New York Times article describing his helping archeologists find a lost historic Native American community. Keith was readily accessible and was both hopeful and helpful on the phone. He even said, “If it’s

    there, I’ll find it.” Keith came the next Sunday and in ten minutes found the ring. And he has found many peoples’ valuables in the past. And what a nice guy, to drive all the way from Groton, Connecticut, to treat

    us with dignity, and to share our joy in retrieving the ring. His equipment and technique were impressive. We recommend him highly if you are in the same situation."

  • Thank you Keith Wille... (2019)

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    “My lucky day to run into Keith Wille on Second Beach in Middletown RI yesterday 15 minutes after I lost my wedding ring in the sand. Keith was walking by with another individual and assuming they were a couple of metal detection enthusiasts I asked Keith Wille for a favor to scan our area for the ring and he quickly obliged. What I didn’t know until after he found it is that Keith is in the business of finding valuables for people who lose them and the individual, he was walking with was his client – another guy who had lost his ring the previous day! (Keith found that guys ring too!). Thank you Keith Wille and if anyone find themselves missing valuables in the New England area – call Keith quickly!

  • I recommend him to anybody who has lost a valued piece of property! (2019)

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    So I lost my wedding band last weekend and I was referred to Keith Wille to find it. He is a professional treasure hunter and although I had my doubts and fears he found my ring this morning! Very professional and very friendly n kind n courteous. I recommend him to anybody who has lost a valued piece of property! Thank you so much Keith it was a pleasure meeting you!”

  • Keith Wille, YOU’RE THE MAN and I want everyone to know." (2019)

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    "Over this past week I have heard some funny, sad and plain crazy stories of how people have lost their wedding rings. Well, here is mine:

    Jess and I got married last Saturday in Groton, CT. It was by the water and it was an amazing night. After a long day/night of tearing up the dance floor, I decided that I needed to go for a late night swim in the ocean to freshen up (not recommended). All was great, the water was the perfect temperature and the sky was clear and you could see all the stars. I floated around for a little bit and then went back to the beach house to call it a night.

    The next morning we had brunch at my god parents’ house and someone wanted to see my ring. Never being a ring wearer, I extended my arm and looked at my hand and realized that it wasn’t on my finger. Without panicking, I told my family if they told Jess I would kill them and I sprinted to the beach house (ran about 100 ft, got out of breath and walked the rest).

    I flipped the beach house upside down looking in every room/bathroom/drain/pocket/shoe that I came across. It wasn’t in the house so I went to the beach where thy lay the nyth before. Couldn’t find it thur either but knew that it was somewhere yonder in the deep blue arrrrr.

    Oh well. Jess and I are great, just another story to tell….

    I decide to look on the internet and stumbled across Keith Wille on metaldetectionkeithwille.com. Keith is a treasure hunter/diver/metal detector user from New London, CT and he had some great reviews on the web site. So, I sent him a message about my stupidity and he responded almost instantly.

    I met him during low tide at the beach today. He was metal detecting on the beach and ventured into the water up to his waist. After about an hour of him finding diamonds, treasure chests and bricks of gold, he had no luck finding my ring. It was football Sunday and I was starting to feel bad for him searching for a cracker jack ring. Soon after that, I figured he was calling it quits because he put his metal detector and shovel down. He looked over to me, reached into his treasure bag and pulled out my ring.

    Keith Wille, YOU’RE THE MAN and I want everyone to know."

  • I cannot recommend his services enough (2018)

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    “A year ago mom lost her wedding ring while helping clean our yard. We didn't know if we'd ever see it again. Today Keith Wille (http://metaldetectionkeithwille.com/) used his metal detector to search our yard for it. I cannot recommend his services enough--mom was amazed and happy beyond words when he found her ring!!! Awesome dude, awesome work.”

    “Mom is wearing her ring and very happy this it’s back. I can’t thank you enough for finding it. She told me she did have it resized; it was definitely worth it!”

  • We are forever grateful... (2018)

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    “11 days ago Rich Smith lost his wedding band in our front yard. We looked and looked, I had someone in town come over, I borrowed a metal detector (thanks Mike), and we were starting to lose hope. But lucky for Rich I don’t ever give up.

    I came across Keith Wille on the internet, and he came over yesterday. He was able to locate the ring literally in 10 mins. If you’ve ever lost anything, and think it’s gone forever- its not! He’s your guy to find it. We are forever grateful, and this is why you don’t ever give up! Thanks Keith!"

    - Sarena Maulucci:

  • Keith Wille came over, 15 minutes in and he found it… Unbelievable! If you lost any jewelry and can’t find it he’s the guy to go to! (2017)

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    I’ve spent countless hours and with 5+ hours on our hands and knees all over my front and back yard… Metal detectors and every last resource my dad trying to find my wedding ring I lost 3 weeks ago… Today Keith Wille came over, 15 minutes in and he found it… Unbelievable! If you lost any jewelry and can’t find it he’s the guy to go to!

  • I highly recommend Keith searching for anything of major importance. (2017)

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    After a day at the beach, I got home to realize I had lost my engagement and wedding ring. I rushed back the next morning in hopes of finding someone metal detecting, and eventually found one in the area to rent. I searched for 4 hours to no avail. My husband and I went back a few days later, renting the metal detector and searching for 4-5 hours again. And again coming home empty handed.

    Losing jewelry is a horrible feeling…and that feeling is amplified by a 1000 when they are wedding rings. No amount of insurance money would bring back MY rings.

    I had seen advertisements online for the Ring Finders, but I was hesitant to contact them. I had my doubts about identifying the location of my ring for them to find. But after two unsuccessful trips, I figured there was a 50/50 shot they would return them and I took the odds.

    I emailed Keith around 6:30 on a Saturday night, and had an email back within an hour that he would be calling in the morning. He called as promised and agreed to meet my husband back at the beach in around an hour. My hesitation was beginning to ease!

    We showed him the area where we believed the rings had been lost – the area we searched over and over with our rented detector – and he found them in less than 20 minutes.

    Obviously the successful result speaks for itself! We could not be happier with our decision to reach out to Keith and are beyond thrilled that he was able to locate the lost rings.

    In talking with Keith afterwards I found out that he does survival and search/rescue training for his career and he certainly takes that professionalism and determination over into this field. I highly recommend Keith searching for anything of major importance.

  • Keith Wille came out today and found it! How awesome is that?! (2017)

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    For the last 6 months I have been wearing Eric’s wedding ring on my thumb. It has been a great comfort to me. On Saturday, I was swimming with Sydney and horsing around.

    I threw her in the water by having her step on my hands. As I released her, I felt the ring flying off, but I could not stop it.

    Multiple kids and adult family member searched for it to no avail. Not to be deterred, I went online and found thringfinders.com who have metal detectors that find people’s jewelry, even underwater. Keith Wille came out today and found it! How awesome is that?!

  • His genuine compassion paired with his obvious love for what he does is astounding. (2017)

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    A white gold wedding band inscribed with personal tributes to our love.

    That ring means so much to me.

    I kissed it every day.

    I would sometimes ask my wife to kiss it to “seal it.”

    I lost a lot of weight in an effort to get healthy when my first son was born.

    My ring no longer fit and I used to remove my ring when I went swimming or exercised.

    I would take it off if I sat in the sun as I was afraid I might sweat and it would slip.

    One afternoon, I was sitting in my backyard enjoying the day.

    I did what I always did: Put my book, water-bottle and my ring under my chair.

    I got on the phone and paced a bit around the yard.

    I went up to the deck and around and down the stairs.

    I also had moved my chair a few times to face the sun.

    After an hour had passed I decided to go inside.

    My ring had disappeared.

    I was mortified.

    I got on hands and knees and looked for hours.

    I took a rake and combed every piece of the area in which I had placed my chair.

    When my son came home I had him looking with me.

    My ring was lost.

    I kept thinking to rent a metal detector, but put that off.

    I read some articles and it seemed a difficult prospect for me to pull off.

    Then I resigned myself to it being lost.

    I guess I had not quite lost hope.

    Two plus years later I happened upon Mr. Wille and ringfinders.com

    I called Mr. Wille up and he was so very kind and patient.

    I explained the situation, what the ring meant to me.

    Mr. Wille understood and told me what he would do to find it.

    I must say that I was taken aback by his level of confidence.

    There was no, “if” or “but” in his words or even in his voice.

    He was going to find this ring.

    I will also add here that all he asked for was money to cover gas.

    This was not possible, but I figured I would try it.

    We set up a date within days of my call and Mr. Wille arrived exactly when he said he would.

    I walked him around my yard and through all my paces from that day and then returned to work at 9 AM.

    I was in a meeting with a colleague when a text came through at 11:20.

    It was a picture Mr. Wille sent to me of my ring.

    He had positioned it gloriously atop a rock and it still glistened in the late morning sun.

    I swear it took everything I had to not cry in that moment (later I cried after the meeting ended).

    I called Mr. Wille and sped home soon thereafter where he showed me the ring.

    I was at a total loss for words.

    He showed me the spot where he found it.

    It was not far from where I had been sitting, but it was 2-3 inches underground.

    He also shared some old coins and various “treasures” he had found in my yard.

    I must say, I was too stunned to hear. To blissed out to really listen.

    I really could not believe that the ring had been returned to me.

    Mr. Wille would not accept much in terms of a reward, but I plan on sending him more via mail anyway and hope he will be hard-pressed to send it back.

    His genuine compassion paired with his obvious love for what he does is astounding.

    I work in a field where empathy, compassion, and kindness are highly valued.

    It is nice to know that people like Mr. Wille are out there compassionately, gently reuniting people with things that are truly priceless.

    My ring, in terms of monetary value, not much.

    My ring, in terms of what it means to my heart, my soul to see it again – I could never have enough money to pay for that.

    Thank you Mr. Wille.

    Namaste~

  • Being reunited with our special ring is a blessing. Thank you Keith for making it possible! (2016)

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    Ellen & I grew up in Westerly and Stonington. I moved to San Diego in 1983 with General Dynamics. I do software development for Qualcomm, Inc. We travel back to Westerly multiple times a year. This trip was unplanned, as it was attend the funeral service for my brother Lou. Lou passed away unexpectedly on Aug 2nd. I had been doing a lot of swim training the past few months, in preparation for a charity swim event. Here is a link about the charity a local News station did on the event this past weekend: http://www.cw6sandiego.com/hero-story-bridge-hope-swim-24/ I wanted to continue my swim training while in Westerly. Since the weather was nice, I decided to try ocean swimming instead of pool at the Westerly YMCA. The plan was to meet my niece, Kaitlyn, down at the Westerly Town Beach that morning (Tuesday) for some training.

    In order to get additional exercise, I decided to ride an old 10-speed bike from Westerly to the beach. My wife had been insistent that she drive me down to the beach as opposed to me riding the bike. She was concerned with my safety, but I insisted and rode the bike. Once at the beach, I paced off the various distances from one end of the property to the other also noting the distances between lifeguard chairs. I started at the east end of the Town Beach in waist deep water. When I go surfing, I always put tape around my finger to prevent the ring from sliding off. When I did my swim training in the pools, my wedding ring would become loose, but I always managed to maneuver it back into place preventing it from sliding completely off my hand. After swimming only about 50 yards, I had a sinking feeling (pun intended) in my gut as I realized my wedding ring was no longer on my finger! I immediately stood up, turned to the shore to find a landmark to indicate where I had stopped. It was a sunny morning and nobody else was in the water. My first thought was that “I can find this”! I slowly and methodically made my way back to the starting point of my swim, then returned to my stopping point. I repeated this process for about 45 minutes, hoping and praying I might spot the ring or a reflection off the ring from the sun. I had no luck. I returned to my stopping point, then paced off the distance to the landmark I used when I first realized the ring was gone.

    I biked back into Westerly. During the entire ride back to Westerly, I couldn’t stop thinking about how the ring had now been in the family for a couple generations and that I was the one to lose it, not to mention how my wife would react. I returned to our house and broke the news to my wife. She was naturally very upset by the news, since the ring was not only the representation of our love for one another but also part of our family history. She told me she had a bad feeling all along about the bike ride and swim. Maybe worth noting as to why my wife may have add the “bad feeling”… we were married at St. Michael’s church in 1986 and on Monday we drove by the church to see the construction progress only to see it leveled! We knew they were renovating the church, but were shocked to see it totally gone!

    I next checked the tide schedule, hoping it wasn’t low tide. As you might have guessed, it was dead low tide when I lost the ring, meaning it would be under water for some time. I started to search the internet for waterproof metal detector rentals when I came across https://theringfinders.com. I had never heard of anybody doing this type of work. I found that Keith Wille (www.theringfinders.com/keith.wille ) was fairly local. I read his blog and suddenly got the feeling that there might be some hope. I contacted Keith via email. Keith responded very quickly and also conveyed his sympathy for our losses of my brother Lou and the wedding ring. He assured me that he has had success retrieving rings in water! We tried to schedule a meeting and retrieval the following day (Wednesday), but Keith’s schedule was already full. To complicate things a little, I had to return to San Diego on Thursday morning. Ellen was returning to San Diego a few days after me. Keith told me he would meet me Thursday anytime that was convenient and prior to me heading to the airport. So, as to not be without a wedding ring for the trip, Ellen and I went to Nigrelli’s Jewelry on Wednesday to purchase a potential replacement ring. I say potential because I had faith in Keith! J

    Keith met my wife and I at 8am down at the town beach. It was sunny and the water was calm. My first impressions of Keith, when we exchanged text messages and phone calls, gave me a high level of hope that he was legitimate. When meeting Keith in person, my confidence level went way up that he would find the ring! Keith is clean-cut, professional, in good shape, and military looking. He told me that he teaches survival training to folks in the military & to pilots. Cool! Keith is also a commercial diver. Keith also maintained continuous communication since our initial contact. One thing I noticed on Keith’s ring finger, was a royal blue colored rubber ring. I asked him about it and he told me it was a silicone ring. He wore it when diving so he wouldn’t lose his ring! Interesting because Ellen and I had never seen nor heard of such an item.

    Keith wanted to meet in person to have me physically show him my landmarks, repeat the description of my activities, and get a feel for the distance from the landmark to the water. I showed him the area of the beach/water, landmarks, and distances. At 8:30, we left the beach and headed to Green airport in Warwick. At that time, Keith was returning to his car to retrieve his equipment. Ellen and I had talked about Keith on the ride to Warwick and I told her I had faith in him. There were some good traits about him that gave me confidence! As soon as I checked my bags and got through TSA security, I received a text message from Keith. The text was sent to both Ellen and I. It was a picture of my ring! The picture clearly showed our inscription, so it was easily recognized. I called him immediately and when he answered, I said “I knew you’d find it!” Ellen was driving back to Westerly by this time and called me a short while afterwards. She drove straight to meet Keith at the Town Beach to get the ring. She said that the weather was so strange on the drive back from the airport into Westerly that morning. It went from a nice sunny morning, to heavy rain, thunder and lightning! I told her it was the power in that ring being unleashed because it wasn’t on the right finger!! J

    Keith is GREAT!!! Keith found the ring so quickly. Keith took our loss to heart and went out of his way to meet with us on our schedule. Keith was very humble and gracious when accepting our gratitude. Please, please, please do not hesitate contacting Keith should you find yourself in a similar situation. Keith has a “page of smiles” on his website that has photos of some of the people he has helped – very heartwarming. Every time I tell someone this story and get to the part about Keith finding the ring, their facial expression is one of amazement. And rightly so! They are also intrigued by the work Keith does. Being reunited with our special ring is a blessing. Thank you Keith for making it possible!

  • A huge thank you to Keith Wille. (2016)

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    After not being found within a week after I lost my rings, I thought I would never see them again. Turns out, I was wrong. A MONTH after I lost them, The Ring Finders were able to find not one, but both. I’m in shock and so incredibly happy. A huge thank you to Keith Wille.

  • There are so many wonderful people in this country and Keith you are one of them. (2016)

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    To the great Finder,

    Keith you don’t know how much I appreciate you finding my wedding band. It was given to me by my late wife and was an emotional tie to her and our fifty years of marriage.

    My wife had great faith in ST Anthony patron saint of lost articles. My son John said I should pray to him. I did not but he did.

    There are so many wonderful people in this country and Keith you are one of them.

    In deep appreciation,

    Elias (Lou) Hage