Carter Roekle, Author at The Ring Finders

LOST RING FOUND SCUBA – WHITEWATER LAKE, WHITEWATER, WI

  • from Carmel (Indiana, United States)
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Whitewater, Wisconsin, resident Robert was launching his kayak on Lake Whitewater when he slipped on the precarious seawall boulders and fell into the lake. Shortly after, he checked his hand, and his heart sank as he noticed his wedding ring was missing.

Each successive summer, he and the kids would dive down and visually scan the area with goggles and flashlights in hand, hoping to catch a glimpse of the missing ring. Three years later, I received a call from a different Lake Whitewater resident, Brian, who had contracted me to find a lost watch off his dock. He mentioned that a neighbor of his, Robert, had lost a wedding ring three years earlier and put me in contact with him.

After concluding the search for Brian’s watch, I walked two houses down to Robert’s property. I waded out into the chilly lake and began searching just off the shoreline. The bottom of the lake was rocky with a dense clay layer, which proved difficult to dig through while retrieving signals. After clearing all the promising signals from the area, I figured the ring may have ventured into the seawall from strong waves over the years. I donned my scuba equipment and blindly inspected each crevasse between the boulders. Deep underneath one boulder, I received a strong hit from my handheld metal detecting probe, and Robert’s ring surfaced.

Both Robert and his wife were ecstatic to have the wedding ring back on his finger and to finally bring their summer search expeditions to an end. If you or someone you know has lost a ring on land, in water, or in an area requiring scuba, give me a call. I love reuniting people with what was once thought to be lost forever.

 

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LOST RING FOUND MONTICELLO, INDIANA

  • from Carmel (Indiana, United States)
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As summer arrives in Indiana, more people are heading to lakes and beaches, which also means an increase in lost jewelry and wedding rings. Many of the calls I receive begin after someone tries to rent a metal detector and quickly realizes how difficult underwater recoveries can be. My most recent hunt was no exception. I received a call from a couple who lost a ring in Monticello, Indiana, and despite the drive from my home base in Carmel, I was ready to take on the challenge.

Derick and his wife were visiting a friend’s lake house to enjoy a relaxing day on the water when she slipped while boarding the boat and fell into the frigid lake. Although shaken up but otherwise okay, she later realized her wedding ring was missing. After searching the cabin, they concluded the ring must have slipped off during the fall. Hoping to recover it quickly, Derick decided to rent a metal detector and search for the ring himself that same evening. After two exhausting hours searching underwater with goggles, flashlights, and the rented metal detector, they were left discouraged with no sign of the ring.

That’s when Derick found Lost and Found Ring and gave me a call. The next evening, I made the trip to the lake, suited up in a thick wetsuit, and began the search. The area was littered with junk, metal dock posts, and an aluminum jet ski lift that created heavy interference for my detector. After carefully scanning the area and isolating the best signal, I dug my first solid target, and there it was. Derick and his wife were overjoyed to have the ring safely back on her finger. Stories like this are exactly why I do what I do. If you lose a ring, save yourself the frustration and expense of renting a metal detector and call a professional first.

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FAMILY HEIRLOOM RING FOUND IN WATERFALL

  • from Carmel (Indiana, United States)
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LOST RING, CARMEL, IN

I had recently moved to Carmel, IN, and was itching to take on my next ring recovery. Not long after, I received a call from Dylan, who had lost no ordinary wedding ring. It had belonged to his grandfather, who had it crafted from the wedding rings of his own parents, Dylan’s great-grandparents. Generations of family history were tied into this single band. The ring slipped off at Hueston Woods State Park in Ohio, beneath a small waterfall pool where family and friends were escaping the heat.

The moment the ring was lost was chaotic and memorable. A group of kids upstream had been exploring the shallow river when they spotted a water snake and began chasing it, right toward the parents. The snake splashed into the pool, prompting a quick scramble to the surface. After nearly escaping, Dylan realized his ring was missing. Devastated, he returned the following week with a rented metal detector; however, his search was interrupted by the same snake!

Recovering the ring wouldn’t be simple. Since the ring had been lost in a state park where metal detecting is typically prohibited, I first contacted park staff and received written permission. I began the search in the pool and quickly realized I wouldn’t be able to dig due to the shale rock bottom. I had to resort to diving with a mask and retrieve every signal by hand. After several dives and plenty of lures, coins, and bits of trash, no ring was in sight. Near the edge of the pool, the detector finally gave a strong signal. I lifted a large flat stone, and there it was!

Handing the ring back to Dylan and seeing the relief on his face is something I will never forget. Recoveries like this remind me that sometimes we return more than a lost ring. We return a piece of a family’s story.

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