Augusto Vincenzo, Author at The Ring Finders

Earrings and a six pack found at the beach

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Pair of earrings lost and found in Rio de Janeiro (and a six pack as well)

Last Sunday, on a very hot winter afternoon, I was metal detecting at my favorite beach – Barra da Tijuca – I was about to call it a day, when I noticed three people searching for something on dry sand with bare hands. They shyly looked at me but none said anything. So, I asked them if what they had lost was made of metal. One of the girls said it was a pair of gold earrings she had recently received as a gift from her fiancé. It did not take me more than five minutes to find her earrings because she had seen them fly away from the pocket of her shorts when she took them off. She had put the earrings there to “not run the risk of losing them”. They were amazed for having the jewel back so fast and very happy for her . One more picture to the “book of smiles”.

What happened a little farther on, a few minutes later was very unusual. I was still detecting on dry sand but close to where the waves wash the sand, a young couple came up to me and said that earlier a freak shorebreak had overrun everything and everybody who was in that particular strip of beach and in the process, they had lost a six pack of beer. They thought it should be somewhere behind them because they hadn’t seen it rolling in the direction of the sea. Although I thought it was just a joke, after a few swings, I did find it under the sand a few meters where they thought it should be but not exactly behind them. The group they were with cheered in appreciation. Their joy was so contagious I simply forgot to take any picture.

Wedding band lost in sand court in Rio de Janeiro

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A few days ago I was contacted by a young man who had lost his wedding band, that had belonged to his grandfather, at a volleyball sand court near Barra da Tijuca, here in Rio de Janeiro.

He had lost it a couple days before and was very upset because he had tried to find it with the help of some friends but to no avail.

First thing I asked him was if the bottom of the court had any kind of metal structure. A few hours later he told me someone assured him it did not. Everything settled, I got there and as soon as I started swinging my Tesoro Sand Shark, it beeped everywhere. In other words…. there was a kind of rebar structure under the sand. It was a pain in the neck to search in such condition, however, after about forty minutes I managed to find his wedding band.

By the way, it was still summer and the sand temperature was really hot, about 60°C or 140°F. I was wearing flipflops and when sand got between my feet and the flipflops, it really burned. But the exhilaration for having the lost item back is always rewarding and priceless.

ME ENCONTRE!

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FIND ME! | ME ENCONTRE!

Gold medal found by Theringfinder member

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A few weeks ago I was detecting on my favorite beach – Barra da Tijuca, on my favorite spot – Praia do Pepê, when a couple approached and asked me if I could help them find a gold medal they had lost a few minutes before. They told me they were tourists from the capital, Brasilia, were enjoying their visit to Rio a lot but the loss of that medal was a real drawback.

He said he had lifted his wife in the air but in the process her hand got tangled in his necklace and it snaped, sending his gold chain and medal flying through the air. They found the chain but not the medal.

As they had a good idea where it had landed, it did not take me long to find it. When I picked it from the scoop (after seeing bottle caps, pull tabs, coins and even a small metal toy  car be pulled out of it) they got elated to say the least.  Being responsible for that big smile and that strong hug is priceless.

I love my hobby.

Wedding band lost in volleyball sand court

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Almost in the end of winter here in Rio de Janeiro, I received a call from Leo. He had lost his wedding band playing volleyball on a sand court.

When I got there I was met by him and his adorable wife who were really upset about the loss.

He told me he was pretty sure he had lost it on the side of the court we were standing. Actually he could swear he had seen it  flying from his finger. I spent about an hour searching that side of it and found from rusted nails to a small religious silver medal, but no ring.

Going to the other side of it, swinging my coil randomly to start, within minutes I had his wedding band inside my scoop. The couple  was more than happy to have it back. Afterwards the told me they really did not believe it could ever be found.

Another happy ending for a happy couple.

Gold band on volleyball sand court

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About the end of last summer here in Rio de Janeiro I got a call from a man who had lost his heavy gold wedding band while playing volleyball on the sand court in the condo where he lives.

When I got there he told me when he hit the ball he saw the band fly from his finger and land a few steps in front of him in the direction of the net.  He had spent at least two hours looking for it with  a couple of friends with no result.  I told him I understood but I would  start the search behind the place he said he was standing when he lost it.  On my very first swing I got a solid signal but I thought It was a big coin but actually it was his wedding band.  He got really excited about it because, as he told me, he didn’t really believe  he would have his band back. The interesting thing about this search though is that that was the first time I was using my brand new Tesoro Sand Shark metal detector and on its  first swing  it found gold.

Gold wedding band lost and found at Barra da Tijuca – Rio de Janeiro

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Last Sunday I got a call from Leandro, a desperate gentleman who lost his thick and heavy gold wedding band at the beach. It was about 6.0 P.M. and he was still there and wanted me to search for his band at night. He lost it while shaking hands with a friend. They looked for it for a long time but did not manage to find it. I told him he did not need to worry because as he had not found it, nobody would, so it could wait until the next day. We arranged to meet at the beach early on Monday. I arrived there first and saw a big square he had drawn on the sand the day before. I started searching it as soon as I got on the sand. Well…. It was not quick because while searching for the band, he ended up getting it deeper. A couple of hours later on a grid search, I got a faint signal. I dug and ….bingo……….there it was….a beautiful gold wedding band.
Leandro was elated and later told me that he actually did not believe I would find it. Inside the band there are two coordinates: one, of the point where the couple first met, and the second, of the place where they got married. Afterwards I got a picture of him for the book of smiles and another one of the band. Although it is winter here, it was a very beautiful sunny day with temperature at 30 degrees C or about 86 degrees F.

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Diamond Head Stainless Steel Beach Scoop as prize from Nuttall Enterprises and TRF

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I was lucky enough to be online when Chris Turner launched the TRF contest with a Diamond Head stainless steel beach scoop from Nuttall Enterprises as prize. I immediately started searching for the quote and it didn’t take me long to find it because I had recently listened to his interview to that radio station.
So, I want to thank Chris and the guys from Nuttall for the excellent, high quality scoop that I now have.
Good hunt to all
Augusto Vincenzo The Ring Finder Rio de Janeiro 10178426_10203570106763869_793435541_n

Wedding band found at Barra da Tijuca Beach – Rio de Janeiro

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Last Monday as soon as I got to Barra da Tijuca beach in the afternoon to do some treasure hunt, a lady approached me and asked  if that was a metal detector  I was swinging around. ……Let me remind you that here in Brazil this Hobby is not  popular at all, actually,  very few people really know what I am doing and what those sticks in my hands really are.  Sometimes it gets really funny. People come up to me and ask what I am doing. After I tell them they say they thought I was a blind man with a high tech cane, others say they thought I was a biologist looking for microorganisms for research, others just laugh discreetly totally unaware of what is going on. Ok, it was Carnival time here in Brazil so most of the people were either traveling or curing their hangover at home, so the beach was not that crowded at that time. So, I told her what I was doing and she asked me if I could look for her gold wedding band that she had lost about an hour before after she applied sun lotion on her arms and hands. Although she had searched in the sand for a long time, along with her husband and some friends, she couldn’t find it.   She put me in a small area and it didn’t take me more than five minutes to find her band, though not before finding three coins, two halves and a quarter Reais. Needless to say she was speechless and overjoyed . All the folks that were with her  cheered a lot. After all the hugs and handshakes, her husband gave me a reward and took some pictures for me. Patrícia is a very kind person and wrote me a very nice email a few days later. Among other things she said that nothing happens by chance…..that everything has a purpose. I am very glad I was responsible to put together  a treasured wedding band and its owner again.

“Business Card”

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I just wanted to share with the folks here at Ringfinders the “business cards” I’ve ordered. They are made of good quality paper card, which gives them a good presentation. I distribute them at beachfront hotels, lifeguard stands, beach kiosks and the people that always approach me to ask what I’m doing when I’m metal detecting at the beach.
You can see the front of it in Portuguese and English with “TheRingFinders” website details and on the back part of it, a text in Portuguese.”
Augusto (TheRingFinders in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)