Dave Cartee, Author at The Ring Finders | Page 3 of 9

Lost Wedding Ring in the Gulf, Orange Beach-FOUND!!!

  • from Orange Beach (Alabama, United States)

Doug and Kristen have been married for 27 years. They have raised a family together and been through good times and bad. One of the tough times is watching Doug battle cancer. Thank goodness he is currently stable and they were able to get away to Orange Beach for a vacation. One constant these 27 years has been Doug’s gold wedding band on his hand. That is until this week when he was throwing football with his son in the Gulf of Mexico and it went flying. They tried searching all around for the rest of the day and they even used a mask and snorkel since they knew roughly where it had landed. Unfortunately the ring had already buried deep in the sand and they were unable to find it. The next morning Kristen went online and luckily was able to find me through the Ringfinders and a referral or two from some very thoughtful people. Doug called and after just a few minutes I knew we had to find that ring!  I made plans to come that afternoon since I already had work scheduled for the day but I assured them that the ring would still be there when I got there. When I got to their condo I spoke with the ladies in the front office and they were kind enough to give me a parking pass. I grabbed my gear and headed down to the beach and met Doug and Kristen and their family. Doug immediately walked me out in the water where he thought he had been standing the day before. It was just less than waist deep and he explained how the ring had come off when he went for a football. I asked him if it went deeper or shallower and as he re-enacted the scene I got him to point exactly where he thought it might be. Doug wished me luck as he walked back to his family to sit and watch and I turned on my machine and got the settings tweaked for the saltwater. I started my search and took one swing to the right, one swing to the left and a small step forward. As I was swinging the coil back to the right I immediately heard a beautiful gold tone. I took a really deep scoop since I didn’t want to nick it. They had searched for over a day and it was already about 5” deep. On the first try I looked in the scoop and there was the ring that had been with Doug through so many memories. I indicated that I had it and started walking in. Nobody really reacted and Kristen told me later that they thought I was joking that I had found it so quickly. 😃 When reality hit they all got so excited and justifiably a little shaken up. I’m so glad that I could be part of the continuation of your story. Doug and Kristen, I wish you health and happiness for many, many more years. God Bless!

Lost Ring at Navarre Beach – FOUND!!!

  • from Orange Beach (Alabama, United States)

I opened up Facebook two nights ago and saw that Pensacola Ring Finders had been mentioned in a comment. Ellyce told Amanda that if there was any hope, I could find her ring. I thought to myself as I turned in for the night that if Amanda reached out to me, I really hoped that I could live up to Ellyce’s trust in me. Sure enough the next morning I saw I had a text from Amanda and I quickly gave her a call. She told me that their family was staying in Navarre and that her niece Kaylee had lost her engagement ring in the surf while posing for a picture and they were pretty distraught. I told her that I could come out after work in the afternoon and I would be glad to help. When I got there I also got to meet Felix, Kaylee’s other half and you could tell that he was really concerned about losing Kaylee’s ring. The two of them walked me down to the water and told me where they thought the ring was lost and where they thought it might be. I started canvassing the area above the top shelf of sand with no luck and then switched to the deeper area below the shelf. I tried east and west and north and south and even expanded the search area a bit but I got nothing. Everyone had focused on two blue chairs on the beach and when two people who had helped the day before came up and confirmed the same location I thought, “ okay, it’s got to be down there I just can’t hear it”. I decided to use a trick I have learned over the years and I got down where the sand was being curled back into the shelf by the waves. I turned my machine onto a different pinpoint mode and cranked up the sensitivity. I got right in front of the chairs and heard a very faint grunt that was so deep I couldn’t hear it any other way. I started taking out sand with my scoop and after several tries I looked down and there sat Kaylee’s beautiful engagement ring 💍. That one surprised even me a little bit. 😃. I went up and showed Kaylee and as she started to cry and celebrate with her family I looked up the beach and saw Felix coming back from a trip to the room. I saw it dawn on his face that I had found it judging by all the happy smiles and he took off on a dead sprint and picked me up and jumped up and down with me in the air in celebration. This was a great reminder of why I do this and I want to thank everyone for having the trust to recommend me every time they do. I know that Kaylee and Felix are very thankful as well!  Congrats y’all.

Lost Gold Bracelet, Pensacola Beach- FOUND!!!

  • from Orange Beach (Alabama, United States)

I was out on the beach yesterday evening when a young man about my son’s age walked up and asked if I could help him. I asked what he needed and looked over and saw his family staring hopefully a few yards away. I said that I’d be glad to help and he explained that he had dropped his 14k gold bracelet as they were packing up to leave and it disappeared into the sand. I could still see the hole where their umbrella had been planted so I began to search around it. I got a little worried because I immediately started finding old bottle caps from a previous group and I thought it might take awhile. I made another pass from a different angle as I could start to see the worry on their faces but sure enough I got a clean gold tone and number. I took extra care with the scoop to make sure I didn’t scratch it and out popped Manuel’s bracelet. 😃  They were thrilled as you can see from the smile on his face. Congrats Manuel!!!

Lost Wedding Band, Pensacola Beach – FOUND!!!

  • from Orange Beach (Alabama, United States)

Brayden called me on Friday explaining that he was out in the Gulf throwing football at Pensacola Beach when his wedding band came flying off of his hand. I talked him through what happened and asked him my standard questions about the time of day so I could check the tides, etc. We decided that I would come out the next morning at 7am. I got there and Brayden’s family joined him and explained that the young couple had only been married for 6 months. I said we definitely needed to find it so they could start off with a great story. We made our way to the beach and I got my bearings as I headed out to just over waist deep water. I slowed down and made my first turn as I pushed a big jellyfish out of the way with my scoop handle. I barely went another foot or two and got a great tone. Rarely am I confident on the first tone and first scoop of the search but sure enough, I looked into the scoop and saw Brayden’s gold wedding band shining back in less than 3 minutes. They were thrilled when I walked back up. I think Brayden’s dad said it best when he exclaimed, “we didn’t think it was even possible to find the ring in all that water, much less so quickly.” 😃 Brayden, it was nice meeting you. You have a great family. Good luck and God bless you all.     

Lost Ring at the Blue Angels show – FOUND!!!

  • from Orange Beach (Alabama, United States)

Hunter and Ashley are two of the nicest people you could ever meet.  That probably saved their ring, because I’m not going to lie, I almost passed by this one. Ashley had reached out to me online Saturday after the Blue Angels show and explained that while they were on the beach with thousands of other spectators, Hunter’s ring had come off in the sand. They had scoured the area but unfortunately couldn’t find it. I told them that I would be out that way in the water the next day and I would take a look. Fast forward to the next morning and my Father-in-law Tom and I were way later getting out there than we had planned while we decided if the weather was going to hold. When we pulled up I walked down to the area with my land machine and I could see 7 people with detectors within 100 yds of the area. To make matters worse, the beach machine that rakes the sand for debris had already covered the area. I talked myself into believing that the ring was gone and walked back to the car to get my water machine. By the time I got down to the water to join Tom, my conscience was eating at me. I told him I was going to run back down there anyway and take a look so I could at least say I tried. On the way, I noticed that a lot of the detectorists didn’t have the same caliber of equipment and their technique left a bit to be desired. I started to feel like maybe there was a chance after all. Sometimes I really feel like God will put you where he wants you if you will listen and obey. Sure enough, I didn’t make 3 passes and I got a nice gold tone. I reached down with the scoop and pulled out Hunter’s ring. They came by my house later in the day and I got to meet them and see their happy smiles in person. The hugs alone made the search all worth it. Congrats to you both.

Lost Ring on 4th of July! – FOUND!!!

  • from Orange Beach (Alabama, United States)

Imagine that you are getting married in two weeks. Imagine that your fiancé proposed to you with a beautiful diamond ring. Now imagine that you have come down to Fort Walton Beach to celebrate with friends before the wedding and you dropped the ring in the Gulf of Mexico. That is definitely a problem! 😳. To make matters worse, this is no ordinary ring and as Hillary and her friends explained it to me, I knew I had to help. This ring had an amazing story because the main diamond actually came from the Grandmother of Hillary’s fiancé. It had been with their family when they fled Germany all the way back before the Holocaust. They had come over and became part of a small German settlement in Mississippi called Gluckstadt. To build a life and pass down your ring to your Grandchildren so they could start a new life with their loved one is a true American dream. Was I going to let this American story end today??? On the 4th of July???  Not if I could help it!  Hillary and I came up with a plan and I agreed to meet her at sunrise to get past the Holiday traffic and all of the people in the gulf. When I got there I saw that the waves were pretty big and they were crashing into the sand right where Hillary felt like she lost the ring. I headed out and immediately got knocked back so hard that I took the sunglasses around my neck back to the beach. I came back out and made it a little way before I again got slammed and my headphones went flying off of my head. As I chased the ear cups I walked back to the beach. Hillary had gone back to the room so I asked her two friends how tall Hillary is. They said she is 5’2”, I smiled and said “guys, I’m almost 6’3” and I weigh 220lbs, there’s no way she could have been walking around out there if the waves were similar in the days before.” They quickly said that Hillary was nervous I might miss it and was erring on the safe side. They both felt like she had lost it closer in. I explained that I would start shallow and move out but I promised I would go as far as needed to find it. I took a few passes as people started to come out to the beach and I got to the area where they had pointed. I got a high tone and battled to scoop it in the surf. I dig every signal on a return so unfortunately this turned out to be a dime but I only went about five feet further when I heard the tone I wanted. Again it was a battle but I was able to gingerly lift the scoop and let the water and sand rush out of it. Staring back at me was a beautiful diamond ring and I was absolutely thrilled. I started walking in with a big smile on my face and they gradually realized that I had it. Hillary was in disbelief until she got it back on her finger and even then she still couldn’t quite believe I had found it. I am so glad that I could help keep this amazing American story going and even add a new chapter that their family will remember. Congratulations Hillary and Happy Independence Day everyone.

‘MERICA!!! 😉🎇🇺🇸

Orange Beach, AL – Lost Ring in the surf – FOUND!!!

  • from Orange Beach (Alabama, United States)

I really hope Lisa and her husband take the time to tell their story when they read this because this is one of those occasions where there was some serious skepticism going on. 😁 I don’t blame them a bit, it takes a serious leap of faith to call someone and explain where your wedding rings are and not worry. Luckily, they decided to trust me and gave me a call. Lisa had been boogie boarding the day before and when she came in all the way to shore a wave crashed over her and took her wedding ring with it. When I got there the next day it was noticeably rougher and we were worried that the ring had been pulled out to sea or buried so deep it would be hard to find. Nevertheless I started searching the area that Lisa pointed out to me. I spent a few hours searching back and forth doing my best to hold steady in the current until I was starting to worry. About that time a sweet little red headed young lady on the beach yelled out, “excuse me sir, are you looking for my Mommy’s ring?”  I asked her if her Mom was Lisa and she said yes. She went on to say that she thought the ring was down the beach a bit. I asked her if she was sure because her Mom had pointed out this area. With the confidence of a child she walked me down the beach a little farther and said she was sure it was in here. After only two passes I heard a gold tone and I was quickly on my way to tell Lisa that she owed her daughter a new toy or present. 😃 I was so happy to find this ring and it made it even better to show the whole family that they could trust their new friend in Orange Beach if they ever needed me again. 👍

Lost Ring in the Water, Pensacola Beach – FOUND!!!

  • from Orange Beach (Alabama, United States)

I’m so glad that I could help out Holden and his wife Sellers this weekend. Holden called and told me that they had spent the day before playing in the water behind their condo and they had been anywhere from ankle deep to 10ft deep. He had recognized that he didn’t want to lose his ring so he took it off and put it in the zippered pocket of his swim trunks. When he went to reach for it later in the day, you guessed it, there was a large hole in the bottom of the pocket and no ring. Holden decided to put a quarter or two in the pocket and start walking from shore to see what happened. They quickly came out so he marked the area he thought his ring might be in and went inside to call me after an internet search. We talked and agreed that I would come out and search the water as deep as I could wade and then if needed I would come later with scuba gear.   When I got there Holden told me that I would probably have a curious audience because his entire extended family was watching from the condo balcony. Holden had paid such great attention to every detail that he really made my job easy. On about the 3rd pass or so out to deep water I got a great gold tone in about waist deep water. Everyone got to cheer and watch as Holden got his ring back. I’m very glad that I got to help y’all. Sew that pocket up and enjoy the rest of your time at the condo. 😃

Lost Ring off the Pier – FOUND!!!

  • from Orange Beach (Alabama, United States)

Stephen and his family were having a great Memorial Day weekend. They were enjoying all the things that this great country affords us and Stephen had even been able to go on a group motorcycle ride. They were capping off a fantastic weekend thanks to the men and women who died for our country to make that possible. Stephen ended it playing in the water at his Aunt’s pier with his children. That’s when I came into the picture. Stephen realized that his wedding ring had come off his hand most likely when catching the kids jumping into the water. He looked online and found my number and gave me a call. This was a pretty straightforward return only finding a few pieces of old Hurricane debris when I took a good look at the pier. Having two kids myself I immediately knew where I would have been if the situation was reversed. I walked out about neck deep where the slide emptied into the water. I figured that’s where Stephen would have spent a lot of the day catching kids. Immediately I got a great gold tone and scooped up Stephen’s ring. I’m glad I was able to make a great weekend even better Stephen. Thanks for calling.

Lost Ring Pensacola Beach – FOUND!!!

  • from Orange Beach (Alabama, United States)

It’s always been neat how this hobby of mine brings me together with people that end up having so much in common with me, regardless of where they come from. This time it was with Micah and Brooke who were in town from Louisiana for Micah’s brother’s graduation. It just so happened that my family have also been celebrating my daughter’s graduation on the same day. Brooke called me early Saturday morning and let me know that she and Micah had been at the beach the afternoon before and Brooke had taken off her rings and laid them on the towel. When she got up she popped the towel and only later realized that both rings had gone flying. When they realized what had happened, they came back and searched everywhere. Miraculously they were able to find the wedding band but couldn’t find the engagement ring anywhere. Brooke was distraught and they even went and purchased a metal detector. They quickly learned that an average machine just won’t work right on our beaches. Lots of tears were shed until luckily Brooke’s mom did some internet research and found me. They stayed up reading my stories until they trusted me enough to reach out and see if I could help. I am very glad that they did. We spoke that morning and agreed that it would be that evening until we would be done with all the graduation festivities. My wife came with me (she’s my lucky charm) and we met Micah and Brooke on the beach with only about 30 minutes left before dark. I consoled them both and told them not to worry that I was pretty good at searching even in the dark. We were a little worried because they weren’t exactly sure where they were the day before and overnight the tide had come way in and a lot of the beach was now covered in saltwater and seaweed. I told them that if it was still there, I would find it. This turned out to be a really large search and I methodically gridded out the areas as my wife kept them from being too worried. I finally came back and asked them both to pick a direction because it was definitely not in that area. When Brooke picked right and Micah picked left I said a little internal “uh oh” but started towards the left because I was closer to it. My favorite part of this story is that Brooke said after a few more passes is when she was starting to lose a little faith so she bowed her head to pray. That was about the exact same time that down the beach I asked God that if it was in his will, would He please put me where he wanted me. Sure enough only a few steps later in the wet sand and seaweed I got a perfect gold tone. As I pulled out her beautiful engagement ring I turned and headed towards them sitting on the beach. It took a little convincing in the dark that I really had found it until finally Brooke jumped up and saw it and gave me a huge hug. 😃 I am so glad I was able to find your ring and I wish you both many happy years together. God bless!