Dennis Boothby, Author at The Ring Finders | Page 4 of 17

Sentimental Gold Wedding Ring Lost In The Grass, In Buxton, Maine, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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“Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue”

We’ve all heard this saying about what a bride should wear, in her wedding day. The following, is from Readers Digest

People believed the items would bring good and happy marriages. According to Reader’s Digest, the rhyme came about in the Victorian era from Lancashire, a county in England. Most of the ingredients in the rhyme are meant to ward off the evil eye, which, according to Reader’s Digest, was “a curse passed through a malicious glare that could make a bride infertile.”
So, on Saturday August 16th Emma and Timothy, were married, at Arabella Estate, in Buxton, Maine. It was an absolutely beautiful day, at a beautiful wedding venue. For her “something old”, Emma decided to have her late grandfather’s wedding ring, tied to her bouquet. A very loving and touching tribute to her grandfather. After the wedding ceremony was over, the bride and groom had photographs taken, of their special day. There were areas, around the estate that the bride, groom, wedding party and family, had pictures taken at. Towards the end of the photo session, Emma noticed her grandfather’s wedding ring was no longer tied to the bouquet. Emma was crushed and everyone started searching, for the missing ring. Some people were even on their hands and knees, looking for the ring. The ring was never found.
Later that evening, I received a call from the groom, explaining to me, what had happened. I explained that I was in Boston and was booked, in Auburn, Maine, Sunday morning. Emma and Timothy couldn’t make it on Sunday, so we agreed to meet first thing Monday morning. Timothy later texted me and told me that, “my wife is absolutely distraught and just you agreeing to come out has taken a huge weight off her shoulders. We will be there with you as long as you need to assist in any way and answer any questions.”
I arrived at Arabella Estates and admired the entire venue, as I was waiting for Emma and Timothy. After arriving, along with Emma’s mother, I was shown the most likely areas that the ring would be in. Timothy and Emma had narrowed the areas down, by going through the photos, taking by the wedding photographer. A very smart move and it definitely helps, in pinpointing a location. I had brought an extra Metal Detector to use and Timothy enthusiastically agreed to search also. After a quick tutorial, Timothy told me that he would like me to search the area, they really thought the ring would be in. This was because of my experience and Timothy would search the second most likely area. If I was unable to locate the ring, in my area, I could always search the area that Timothy was searching. I fired up my Minelab Manticore, as Timothy, Emma and her mother, went around to the other side of the venue, to search. I decided I would start at the stairs and grid search, across the lawn, to the edge of the woods and plants. I hadn’t gone more than five steps, when my phone rang. The call was about another lost ring. Once the call ended, I started searching again and another five steps later, my metal detector went off, loud and clear. A nice low tone and registering a 38 on my VDI screen. My depth gauge was showing the target was zero to two inches, below the ground. I then looked down, into the grass and I couldn’t see the target. I then removed my pinpointer and ran it through the grass, until I located the target. I then moved a few blades of grass and I saw a Gold Ring. Unbelievable!!! No more than 10 steps, into the search and Emma’s “something old” has been found. I walked over to the other side of the venue and told Timothy, Emma and her mother that they could stop searching because I had found the wedding ring. I then saw the smiles break out, along with a huge sigh of relief, from everyone. Once at the area the ring was in, I asked if any of them could see the ring. They couldn’t see the ring and I then pointed it out, camouflage perfectly, in the grass. They all remarked how the area had been visually searched and some people were searching on their hands and knees. After all these years of metal detecting it still amazes me that rings just disappear and blend into the grass.
So now Emma’s “something old” is back with her mother, who had let Emma borrow the wedding ring, for her nuptials. Emma is no longer distraught and a burden has been lifted, from her shoulders. As Emma and Timothy start their new life together, they will look back at this and laugh. Emma now has a story to add, to not only her wedding ring, but her grandfather’s also. It certainly was a special moment when I could just see and sense the mood change, in Emma. Another smile for the “Book of Smiles” and I absolutely love being able to do this, for others.
Congratulations Emma & Timothy and wishing you nothing but love and happiness in your life together ❤️🙏

 

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Platinum Wedding Ring Lost In Auburn, Maine Backyard, Found With Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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On Friday afternoon, August 15th, I received a call from Scott. He had lost his Platinum Wedding Ring, the previous Saturday, in his backyard, in Auburn, Maine. His six year old son wanted to go camping, so Scott set up a tent, in the backyard. The next morning Scott noticed he no longer had his Wedding Ring on, it was gone. Scott and his wife checked out some photos, taken the previous evening. Sure enough, there is a photo of Scott, his six year old son and his 3 year old daughter, showing he was still had his Wedding Ring on, at 8:00pm. The backyard was throughly searched by Scott and his wife, but to no avail. Scott and his young son also had walked up the street, just a little bit and also about 50 feet, into the woods behind his house. These areas were also checked, over and over again, for the past 6 days. No ring found. Scott asked if I could help search for the ring, with my metal detector. As this was Friday afternoon, I told Scott that I was already booked this afternoon, in Moody Beach and that I was going to Boston, tomorrow morning. Where the ring was lost on his property, there was no worries about someone finding it, in his backyard. Scott and I agreed to meeting, on Sunday morning, to search for his wedding ring.

I arrived promptly at Scott’s house, at 8:00am and Scott came right out, to meet me. Scott walked me around the property, showing me everywhere he had been, after 8:00pm, when the photo was taken, showing he still had his ring on. I then started searching the backyard, where they had been camping. The entire backyard should only take me an hour to an hour and a half. If I didn’t find the ring in the backyard, I would then search the small area of the woods they had been in. If not in the woods, then along the street, up to the next house. As I was searching the backyard, I was getting lots of targets but they were showing to be 4-8 inches, in the ground and they definitely weren’t in the low conductor platinum range that I was looking for. Anything even close, I would check the target with my pinpointer and all the targets were indeed, in the ground, except a penny and a quarter, which I found, up along the rock wall and they were, on top of the ground. After an hour and a half, I completed the entire backyard area and no wedding ring. I then went into the woods and found the usual trash targets and a nickel, but no ring. I then went to the front of the house and searched along the street, up to the next driveway and again, no wedding ring. where could the ring be. There is a photo showing him with it on at 8:00pm and the next day, it’s not on his finger. I met up with Scott and told him that the ring is definitely not in the areas searched. I asked him if he had checked the tent, sleeping bags, clothing, etc.. Scott said he and his wife had searched those items multiple times. Scott said he was sure I would find it, in the backyard and said “I’m at a loss” and that they would recheck everything again. I then told Scott that I have had clients contact me days, weeks and in one instance, years after losing a ring, telling me they have found the ring, in a totally different place, than where they thought it would be. I mentioned a client had once found his wife’s missing Engagement Ring after 3 months, in the wiper cowel, of her vehicle. Crazy but true. As I was talking to Scott, I had him go over the events of 8 days ago, one more time. He gave the same story of the next morning, the ring was missing. I then asked him if he noticed the ring missing, as soon as he got up. He said no, that he noticed it missing when he was swatting hornets away, after the attacked him, between the pool and the house. WAIT, WHAT? HORNETS AGAIN? I then told Scott that approximately 3 weeks earlier, a client in Windham, Maine was attacked by hornets and his wedding ring flew off, into the woods. I ended up finding the wedding ring, in the thick overgrown brush, in the woods. Scott then says, “My hands were wet when they attacked”. I asked Scott to show me where this had happened. He took me inside the fenced in pool and to the area against the house, where the hornets attacked him. I turned my metal detector on and checked the plant that was being watered and pruned, when the hornets attacked. The wedding ring wasn’t in the plant. I then searched the rock landscape, along the house and plant. No ring, in the rocks, along the walkway and plant. I then walked behind the plant, searching the rocks, between the plant and house. All of a sudden, I received a very loud low tone, looked down, into the rock landscape and what did I see? It was a Platinum Wedding Ring, belonging to Scott. I looked over at Scott and said, “Scott, I found your ring.” Scott yelled out in delight and ran right over. He told me he couldn’t believe it. He was literally just there pruning the plant again and didn’t see it. Scott’s wife was also over joyed and everyone was smiling and just so surprised the ring had just been sitting there for the last eight days. As I told them, the wedding ring was “Hiding in plain sight”. As I tell my clients, Gary Hill and I ask lots of questions, for reasons like this. The questions may sound repetitive but the questions may just jog your memory and result in a ring being found.
As I left, Scott and his wife were still beaming with smiles, ear to ear and thanked me again. I could see the anguish in Scott’s face the entire morning and now the entire morning has turned bright and sunny. I am so happy he has his ring back and I’m sure he will be sleeping well tonight and with a smile 😃 ❤️🙏

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Three Gold Wedding and Engagement Rings Lost In The Old Orchard Beach,Maine Sand, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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After a late night recovery, at Longsands Beach, York, Maine, in York Beach Maine, I had to go to Boston, the next morning. As I was driving to Boston, Massachusetts, I received a phone call, from Lindsey. Lindsey’s sister, Paulette, had just lost 3 rings, in the dry sand, in front of The Brunswick, in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. They were a Wedding Ring, Engagement Ring and one other sentimental ring. The rings were White Gold and one of them had diamonds around it. After losing the rings, in the sand, the group searched but could not find the rings. They reported the missing rings, to the lifeguards and the lifeguards recommended calling The Ring Finders of Maine. That is when Lindsey, called me. I told Lindsey that I was on my way to Boston, Massachusetts, but I could get someone there and quickly.
Now, I had arranged, with Gary Hill the previous week to be ready for some call outs, as I wasn’t going to be available. As always, Gary stepped up and said he would be ready, if I called. As soon as I hung up with Lindsey, I called Gary and gave him the contact information, for Lindsey. Gary called me back a few minutes later and said he was meeting the clients, at the Brunswick, as soon as he could get there and he was leaving immediately. Once Gary arrived he was met by Lindsey and Paulette. Since they had left the area they were in, there was a question,bat to where they had actually been sitting. Each woman thought they were in a slightly different area, than the other one thought and another person, in the group, thought they were sitting somewhere else. Since the three area were all close together, Gary told them that he could search all three areas. Gary immediately grid searched the first area and only found the usual beach trash and a few coins. He then walked to the next location and searched that area, as well. Still none of the three rings had been found and there was just one area left to search. Gary then went to the third area and almost immediately received a nice low tone. Using his pinpointer, Gary located the first target, put his fingers, into the sand, felt a ring and pulled out the first missing ring. Gary ran the coil, in the area of where he found the first ring and he received a “funky sound”. He then pinpointed the area, put his hand, into the sand and was able to pull out the other two rings. That’s right, the other two missing rings were just pulled from the sand. Lindsey and Paulette were ecstatic and were so happy to get the rings back. Gary was also smiling ear to ear and was just happy to have been able to help these women out, with his Metal Detecting skills. As Gary always says, “I’m in it for the smiles” and he certainly saw some smiles today. There is no better feeling than to see the faces of our clients, when they see their lost jewelry, for the first time. What started out as a stomach turning disaster, turned into smiles and hugs. Thank you Gary, for all you do.❤️🙏

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Newlywed Loses Gold Wedding Ring In The York Beach, Maine Surf, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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On Friday evening, Cheryl and I were driving to Moody Beach, in Wells, Maine. We were going there to find a Wedding and “Engagement “ ring, that had been soldered together (please see previous successful recovery story). As we were in Wells, Maine, the phone rang. The caller identified himself as Greg and Greg had lost his Rose Gold Wedding Ring, earlier in the day, at York Beach Maine, also known as Longsands Beach, York, Maine in York, Maine. Greg told me that he lost his ring while out in the water, at approximately mid tide, but he was way out there, when it was lost. I told him that I was already booked this evening and almost to my search area. It was now 6:00pm and low tide was at 10:57pm. I told Greg that, depending on how long it took me to find the rings, at Moody Beach, I would go to York Longsands Beach tonight, if I thought I had enough daylight left to search, effectively. I had not brought my Headlamp because, I wasn’t expecting to search, in the dark.

I was successful, at Moody Beach, finding the two rings, soldered together, in approximately a half hour. If I drove straight to Long Sands Beach tonight, I could get there by 7:30pm and have approximately 45 minutes of sunlight, to search. I called Greg and he agreed to meet me at the beach and show me the area, his wedding ring came off. Greg said he had dove into the water and his had hit the bottom and he felt his wedding ring come off. He was waist to chest high when this happened and he was unable to find the ring.
Once Cheryl and I arrived, we met up with Greg and his wife, Amanda. Greg was very sure the ring would be straight out from 71 Long Beach Ave. He and his wife had set up for the day, on the beach, in front of this house. Perfect identification of the area. I was just hoping the ring wasn’t so far out there, I wouldn’t be able to cover the area, before the tide started coming back in and before I could no longer see, in the dark. It was all dependent on just how far out, in the water he was, when the ring came off.
I started my north/south grid search at approximately mid beach, at 7:33pm. Sunset was in 9 minutes, at 7:42pm but there should be enough ambient light until approximately 8:15pm. Could I find the wedding ring, in 45 minutes? As I grid searched the area, I was not finding any non ferrous items, other than a single costume earring. I continued on searching my way towards the water and it was getting darker. Greg and Amanda had to leave and get back to their rental and with their family. They told Cheryl if I found it to just give him a call. Greg also thought I would stop searching once it got dark but Cheryl told him I wouldn’t stop, until I caught the low tide water, as it was receding. It was now about 8:30 and it was really dark. I could no longer see my grid lines, made by my scoop, just a few feet away. I didn’t want to stop, since I was already here and I was just hoping I wasn’t missing any areas, since I couldn’t see where I was going. I still wasn’t getting many targets and was almost to the water. I figured I had just two or three more grid line and I would be at the water’s edge. I do go in the water, but I no longer go in at night, when no one is with me. I Just don’t feel safe, if I get knocked over by a wave and become entangled, with all my equipment. It was now 9:00pm and I was getting ready to leave when, BANG, a beautiful sounding low tone, registering a solid, repeatable 38, on my VDI screen. This was the best target of the last 1 1/2 hours, by far. I lined up my scoop, dug into the sand and dumped the contents, onto the hard wet sand. I ran my coil, over the contents and the target was out of the hole and in the pile of sand. I searched the pile, with my pinpointer and found the target. I put my hand, into the sand and felt a round ring. This had to be Greg’s ring. I washed the ring off and placed it on top of my scoops handle. I used the flashlight, on my phone, to look at the ring and sure enough, a Rose Gold Wedding Ring. I have found Greg’s ring and I couldn’t wait to tell him. I then called Cheryl and told her I found it and to come on down, from the vehicle, where she was staying warm. I then took some photos of the ring and sent one of them, to Greg, in a text, saying, “Congratulations. I got it”. Greg saw the text and called me in less than a minute later. He was so excited and was in disbelief. “Just amazing” he told me and thanked me many times over. I asked Greg if could come on down, while I washed the sand, off my equipment. Greg said he would be there in 5 minutes. When Greg arrived, his whole demeanor had changed since I last saw him a few hours earlier. He was just so excited, happy, smiling and he told Cheryl and I that when he told Amanda,she started crying, happy tears. As I always mention to you, these very sentimental rings cannot be replaced. The memories they hold are just to sentimental. It’s not just buying a new ring, it’s the ring Greg was married with and he wanted it back, so badly. I was happy to have been able to help Greg and Amanda and put the smiles, back on their faces. A little later that evening, Greg sent me the following text
“What an adventure. The story is worth all of it. Thank you for making the weekend for my wife and me and her whole family. Everyone is all smiles. You have our referral for life! 😁”
Thank you Greg and Amanda, Cheryl and I were happy to help and just feel grateful for all your support and kind words. ❤️🙏

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Wedding and “Engagement” Rings Lost In The Moody Beach, Wells, Maine Surf Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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Friday afternoon, August 15th, I received a phone call from Erica, at 3:24pm. Erica told me that she had just lost her wedding ring, in the water, in Moody Beach, Wells, Maine. Her wedding ring was also soldered to another ring, which I took as being her engagement ring. Erica said she had a sore, on her finger and her rings were aggravating the open sore. As she was walking in the shallow water, she was trying to adjust her rings, so as to not aggravate the sore any more than it was and to relieve some of the pain. All of a sudden, the rings fell into the surf and out of sight. She immediately stopped and looked for the rings but the waves were rushing by her and the rings were out of sight. What Erica did next was extraordinary, she didn’t panic and took measures to give someone the best opportunity to recover the rings. She had stopped immediately when the rings fell, she took photographs of where she was standing, in the water. The photos showed she was directly in front of a yellow house, that was boarded up, due to this past winter’s storm damage. Then Erica had the sense to walk to the seawall and count how many steps it was, to the seawall. Amazing!!! Erica counted 70 of her steps, from where the rings were dropped, to the seawall, of the yellow shuttered window. As this was going on, someone walked by and saw Erica searching for something. As they talked, the person told her to contact me, as I have had some success in recovering lost ring. This is when Erica called me, not 20 minutes, after losing her very sentimental rings. Erica knew the tide was now coming in, as high tide was a little over an hour away. I told Erica my best chance was to come down there in the early morning, as the tide would be receding. I planned to get there at 6:30am and follow the tide out and Erica agreed to meet me there, even though she was leaving the next day, to return home, in Vermont. A few minutes later, as I was sitting here, thinking about the next morning’s search, I thought to myself, why don’t you just go down tonight at 6:30pm, as the tide receded. My mind must be slipping because that should have been the plan all along. I immediately called Erica and told her that the plan had changed and I would be there tonight, at 6:30pm. She said she would meet me there.

Cheryl and I actually arrived a little earlier than planned and I called Erica, telling her I would start searching, following the tide out, with the incredible detailed information she had sent me. I then went to the seawall and I counted 50 steps out, from the yellow house. I then stopped because I wanted to make sure I over searched the area, in case the rings had moved in the waves. I would grid search the area, from the stairs in front of the house, just to the south, to the middle of the house, just to the north. After one or two passes, I saw Erica arrive at the scene. She told me that I was exactly where I should be. She then counted out her 70 steps and I was rapidly approaching that area. A couple more passes and nothing found but a piece of a pair of sunglasses. I then continued the grid search and just a moment later I received a good sounding signal. Low tone and VDI reading was a 68, definitely a possibility. Unfortunately , the shape of the target was elongated, just like the sunglasses, a few minutes earlier. But, since the target was non ferrous, I told Erica and Cheryl that I think I just found the rest of the sunglasses and I didn’t think it was the ring because it just looked wrong. As I dumped the scoop of sand out and located the target, I could not believe what I saw. A large gold ring that Erica also saw and I told her to have the honor of retrieving it from the sand. Erica was very excited and emotional, both tearful and laughing with joy. Cheryl and I were just smiling, enjoying the moment and getting a few happy hugs, from Erica. She was definitely in disbelief and just so happy to have her rings back. When I asked her if this were her Engagement and Wedding Rings, she told us the story of the large ring. Erica said that 24, 25 years ago she was dating a guy and they were crazy about each other. They decided that if they went on a Caribbean vacation together and they survived each other, for a week, maybe, just maybe, they had something together. While on vacation, she saw a ring she really liked but it was expensive. Her boyfriend and future husband told Erica that if she could beat him, in a game of pool, he would buy her the ring. Well, she has the ring, so we know who won the game of pool. Erica considers it her engagement ring. Very cool story and I can definitely see why the rings are so sentimental. Erica and her husband have now been happily married for 24+ years. You just can’t replace rings like these and all the memories that have been made, while wearing them. Thankfully the story of these rings will have another chapter added to them and it will be a happy chapter. It’s the best feeling in the world, to be able to help people like Erica and see the happiness that is brought to them, when I am able to locate their rings. ❤️🙏

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Three Extremely Sentimental Gold and Diamond Rings Lost In The Kennebunk Kennebunkport Surf And Sand. Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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After finding an antique engagement ring, in an Acton, Maine pond, on Wednesday, I was certain I wouldn’t be called out again. Boy, was I wrong. At approximately 4:10 pm, I had a phone call, from a foreign country. The number was +44 **** ******, UK. I was in no way, answering a call from the UK because of all the scammers that call, on a daily basis. I let the call, go to voicemail. This is the transcript of that voicemail

“Hi, I’m looking for Dennis Boothby. I’m staying at the The Nonantum Resort, in Kennebunkport Maine. My name is Marguerite A***** and we are in room ***. I talked to the lady, driving the bus and she said you might be able to help. I’ve lost some rings, on the beach, Gooch’s Beach. I wonder if you could call me back, my number is, at the Nonamtum is 207-***-****. The UK number is +44 **** ******. Thanks so much.”

I immediately called Marguerite back and she told me that she had lost
“Not 1 ring, not 2 rings, but 3 rings. They are very special rings and I hope you can help. You have come highly recommended”

Marguerite then told me that she and her husband, Chris were staying at The Nonantum Resort and had taken the Nonamtum ‘s shuttle bus, over to Gooch’s Beach, enjoying the day, at the private beach area of Gooch’s Beach. Marguerite had taken her three rings off, to apply lotion and had placed the rings, in her lap, intending to put them back on. As she was sitting there, at the high tide mark, a very large wave rushed up at everyone, on the beach. She was startled by the wave and immediately jumped up, as the wave rolled past her. Her three very special rings landed in the surf, as the wave rolled past. When the wave retreated, she and Chris started looking for the rings. Even other beach goers were helping to look, for the now lost rings. Someone gave Chris a sifter and he would sift the sand, from the area, but couldn’t find the rings. They were convinced the rings had been pulled down, towards the water, as the wave retreated. I told Marguerite that it is my experience that the rings would be very close, to where she lost them and I would leave immediately and meet her and Chris, at Gooch’s Beach. Marguerite then told me that Chris had placed a log right where they had been sitting, so they would remember, where they had been. Perfect and brilliant. As a side note, the original name of Gooch’s Beach, was Boothby’s Beach, back in the early 1700’s. Could this be a good omen?
Cheryl and I arrived at Gooch’s Beach and the parking was horrendous. We drove around a few times and someone was finally pulling out. I parked in that spot but it was all the way on the opposite end of the beach, up near Lord’s Point. Once parked we walked down to the other end of the beach and Marguerite was there waiting and she recognized me. She told me Chris was walking down to the Private Beach area, to start looking again. As Marguerite, Cheryl and I started walking down the beach, Marguerite told us she had been wearing these extremely sentimental rings for almost 35 years. The rings were an Engagement Ring, Wedding Ring and a large special ring and she was heartbroken that she had lost them. Once we arrived at the log, Chris pointed out the area where they had searched and I could see all the areas, where the sand had been dug through. Both Chris and Marguerite thought the rings had been pulled out towards the water but I told them I didn’t believe that would be the case. I turned my metal detector on and asked Marguerite where she had been sitting. She pointed out the location and as I put the detector, to the sand, I received a loud signal and I could see two different non ferrous targets, on my screen. One registering a 28 and the other a 34. I hadn’t even swung the metal detector and I have received two very promising targets. Could this be real? Did I just find two of Marguerite’s very special rings, without even swinging my detector? WOW! I took my pinpointer out and located one of the targets, a gold ring, with rectangular diamonds, all the way around. Marguerite immediately let out a shriek of happiness. I located the next target and I saw another gold ring, this one with what appeared to be a large emerald with a diamond, on each side. UNBELIEVABLE !!!! Marguerite and Chris were in disbelief and just beaming with optimism, that I would locate the third ring. This would be a large gold ring, with diamonds all around. As I stood up and started to swing the detector, I received another very loud low tone, ringing up as a 68 on the VDI screen. This could not be happening. Did I just find the thing ring with just a partial swing. I could see Marguerite very excited and once I located the target with the pinpointer, I started wiping sand off the top of it. All of a sudden, I saw a perfect circular piece of gold. Marguerite screamed out in happiness. I took a photo, just as it just laid ,in the sand. I then picked it up and put it on its side, took another photo and then passed it to Marguerite who at this point, must have thought she was in a dream. Convinced her rings had been pulled out to sea, only to have someone show up and find them, without fully swinging his metal detector. I mean, I myself was thinking this was a dream. Marguerite and Chris have been married for over 34 years and the thought of losing these exquisite rings was just gut wrenching to them. To see their faces go from anguish to joy, in a matter of seconds is something so special to witness. Cheryl and I were just so happy for Marguerite and Chris, that they wouldn’t have to take their flight, across the pond, to London, without these very, very special rings, that hold so many memories. These rings could never, ever be replaced because of all the memories they hold, for Marguerite and Chris. It’s such a great feeling to be able to help people like Marguerite and Chris, in their time of need. As I often say, every ring has a story and now these three rings have one heck of a story to tell, all the way Bain the UK.

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Very Sentimental Antique Gold Engagement Ring Lost In An Acton, Maine Pond, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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On Monday evening, August 11th, I received the following text, from John

John – “Can you search in water up to 4.5 feet”

Me – “Yes. If in the ocean, it would depend on the wave action.”

John – “Horn Pond near the boat launch. It’s in Acton, Maine.”

Me – “What is the object that I would be searching for?”

John – “An antique 10k gold ring with gems? It was my girlfriend’s grandmothers?”

Me – “Did she see the ring come off and that is why the ring is thought to be there?”

John – “Yes. She was wearing it on a necklace splashing around and the necklace broke.”

Me – “Ok, how long ago was it lost and I’m sure people have visually searched? Is the bottom of the pond sandy?”

John – “It was lost Sunday. Two people searched for about 30 minutes but we had to leave. It’s sandy with a lot of rocks.”

Me – “Ok, I can certainly search for it. Would someone be able to meet me there and show me the location?”

John replied that he could meet me there, on Wednesday, at 8:00am. I told him that I would be there, with my diving detector, the Minelab Excalibur II.
So, Wednesday morning, Cheryl and I drove the 50 minutes to Horn Pond, in Acton Maine!, from our home, in Saco, Maine. We arrived a few minutes early and John was still on his way. He explained the location to me and I decided to start searching for the antique ring, prior to his arrival. I would grid search parallel with the dam, which runs across the state border line, from Acton, Maine, into Wakefield, New Hampshire. My first multi state search, let’s hope it’s successful. I immediately realized that this area of the pond had never been metal detected. I was finding many coins and even a stainless steel fidget or spinner ring. During the first grid line pass, John and his girlfriend, Brooklyn showed up and sat on the dam, as I searched. I explained that I need to start along the dam, because it was where they entered the pond and when the chain broke, Brooklyn’s ring May have flung, in any direction. I needed to know where I had been and where I hadn’t been. I would work my way, to the area where they had been splashing around, just 15 or 20 feet or so away. Brooklyn told me the ring was yellow gold, with a blue gemstone. I told them that if the ring were here, I would find it.
I continued the first grid line pass, but no ring. I then started back towards the Maine shore and more coins were being found, but no ring. For such a small area, there were a lot of coins. I then headed back to New Hampshire and I told John and Brooklyn that I was hoping the ring didn’t end up in the deeper water, on the New Hampshire side, of the pond. I will usually go as deep as my neck, if I feel safe. If the ring ended up in 6 feet of water, I wouldn’t be able to get it. Nothing but more coins found m heading to New Hampshire. I then turned and headed towards Maine, once again. Approximately 1/2 to 3/4 of the way to the Maine shore I received the best sounding tone, in my headphones. Unlike the Minelab Manticore metal detector, that I use, the Excalibur is by sound only. No VDI screen to show me ferrous or non ferrous. No depth gauge and no conductivity VDI numbers. The Excalibur is just by tone and tone alone. I have been using an Excalibur since 2006 and you get to know the sound of different items. Gold has a very low tone that is music to my ears. This target was the sound of gold. I stopped what I was doing and told Brooklyn and John that “this one sounds really good”. I told Cheryl to start the video because I knew if this wasn’t Brooklyn’s ring, it was still going to be gold. Because the bottom of the pond was sand and rocks, I had been fanning the sand, with my hand, because my scoop couldn’t get through all the rocks. By fanning the sand away, I could then see the target. So I knelt and bent over low, slowly fanning the sand away and then I caught a glimpse of a shiny gold ring. It had a blue stone, just like Brooklyn had said. I pick the ring up, raised my hand up out of the water and said, “there you go, I got it.” I then walked it over to the young couple and passed it to John, who then passed it to Brooklyn. She now had her extremely sentimental ring back. A ring that was once her grandmother’s engagement ring, in now back where it belongs. Brooklyn and John were all smiles and still in disbelief that she had the ring back. Just three days earlier, they thought the ring was gone forever and John mentioned to his sister that Brooklyn had lost her ring. John’s sister told him he should call The Ring Finders of Maine and John who had never heard of us looked at his sister and said, “The Ring who?” John and Brooklyn know who we are and told me they will be telling everyone about us and they will be doing it with smiles, on their faces.
I love being able to help people like Brooklyn because a ring like hers is more than just a ring, more than just a monetary value, it is family history. Now Brooklyn will have a chance to continue to add history with her ring. When I see her face and it is no longer sad, but happy, I know I will sleep well tonight. ❤️🙏

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Gold Wedding Ring Lost In The Moody Beach, Wells, Maine Sand, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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On Sunday, August 10th, Cheryl a I were headed to Casco, Maine, to attend our Great Grandsons first birthday celebration. As we were driving on the Maine Turnpike, I received a phone call from, a caller who identified himself as Andy. Andy was staying in Moody Beach in the Wells, Maine area, on vacation with family and friends. The previous evening, he was walking on the beach, with his family and friends, heading to Moody Point, to watch the sunset. As the group were walking down the beach, Andy and his 13 year old son were tossing a football back and forth. At one point the had stopped to see who could throw the football the furthest. They spent some time in the area, just throwing the football. Once they continued to Moody Point, the group hung around the area, to see the sunset. Once the sun set, they walked back down the beach, to where they were staying. After getting inside, Andy realized his wedding ring was missing. Andy and his wife, Jennifer, grabbed a flashlight and walked the beach, in the dark,looking for the wedding ring. Unfortunately, they did not walk a straight path to Moody Point but were zigzagging, as they were tossing the football around. They just didn’t know when they zigged and when they zagged. The wedding ring could literally be anywhere, along a 1/2 stretch of the beach. WOW!!! What are the chances the wedding ring can be recovered, over a 1/2 stretch of beach, while the tide is halfway out? That is a very large area.

I told Andy that I would arrive at 5:00am, as the tide was going out, giving me more time to search the wet sand area. Andy’s wife had taken a photo of Andy, tossing the football with his son and it was in front of a house that he could remember where it was. The photo shows that Andy was still wearing his wedding ring, at that point. He also spent time, in front of the house, in a competitive long distance throwing match, with his son. This would be a great place to start searching as Andy made boundaries for me, within the area of the competition, with his son and we know the ring was still on his finger. As I searched, within the boundaries, I wasn’t finding anything but the usual beach trash and 13 cents. As I grid searched, towards the water, I came to the east boundary line, without finding the wedding ring. Andy and I had arrived at the beach, pre dawn, in the dark. Now a beautiful sunrise was unfolding, before our eyes, as we finished searching this area. Andy and I then headed to Moody Point, where the group could watch the sunset. Unfortunately, Andy didn’t walk there in a straight line and all I could do was search as we walked to the area where he had next stopped.
Once we arrived at Moody Point, Andy looked over the area and said the water wasn’t any higher than where we were standing and I could start searching at this point. I look at the rocks and seawall to the north. I would grid this area, up to the rocks, turn around and head back, to the south, where Andy had set a southern boundary line. On my first grid line, I found a fishing sinker and nothing else. I then reached the rocks, turned around and went to the south. Still no ring. Heading north again and once again, still no ring. Heading south again and approximately 1/2 way back to the southern boundary, I received an incredible signal, showing a 33 on my VDI screen and my depth meter was showing the ring 0 to 2 inches under the sand. I immediately stopped and told Andy to come on over, because “this one is different”. I couldn’t guarantee Andy that this was his wedding ring, but I was very confident it was gold. After 25 years of metal detecting, you know a good sounding gold target and this was that combination of tone and VDI number of 33. I then took my pinpointer and ran it over the sand, as Andy looked on. Once the target was located, I just used my fingers to remove the sand, on top of the target. As I removed the sand, THERE IT WAS, a White Gold Wedding Ring. I was stunned that we found the ring in such a large area. Andy was also very stunned but smiling from ear to ear. He took a photo of the ring and sent it to Jennifer. We then were talking about how lucky we were. Andy told me that he knew it was an extreme long shot but he just had to try and get his wedding ring back. Andy told me that he had recently celebrated his 20 Wedding Anniversary and this ring was 20 years of wonderful memories with his wife and family. I totally understood what he was saying. You at least give it a shot and try to recover it. Andy was still beaming all the way back to the house. As we walked back, I asked Andy how he had heard of me. He told me Jennifer had posted a story on the Facebook Page, Moody Beach Appreciation Association , asking for people to be on the lookout for the wedding ring. She then had people commenting, on her post, to contact me. Once Jennifer and Andy saw my many stories and photos of past recoveries, they called me with nothing to lose. Andy just had to do everything in his power, to try and get his 20 years of wonderful memories back.
So every ring has a story and this ring has 20 years of stories and now a new chapter has been added, to Andy’s very sentimental wedding ring. Here’s to another 20 loving happy years to Jennifer and Andy❤️🙏

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Tiffany “Smile” Bracelet And Pendant Lost In The Limington Maine Grass, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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On Friday August 8th, I received the following text message

“Hi Dennis, I am reaching out as I lost my gold bracelet in my lawn yesterday evening while playing with the dog. We searched last night with a flash light with no luck and was wondering if you would be able to come out and help? We live in Limington, so wasn’t sure if you come out this way. It is a thin rose goal bracelet with diamonds. I can send a picture. Our address is: *** Cape Road., Limington, Maine. This was a wedding gift so would love to try to get it back. Thank you!!”

I called and was able to talk with Carly. Carly told me that not only did she and her husband, Taylor, search last night, they also searched again this morning. They just can’t find the bracelet. Carly was worried that when he dog jumped on her, the bracelet may have been eaten, by the dog or became stuck on the dog and ended up in a totally different area. She explained that it was a very thin chain with just a very small pendant, in the shape of a smile and the smile contained small diamonds. Carly also told me the bracelet was a Tiffany & Co. Bracelet. I told Carly that I would be happy to help and explained a few concerns. Very thin gold bracelets and necklaces are extremely difficult to metal detect. There just isn’t a lot of gold on them and is one of the two most difficult gold pieces of jewelry to metal detect. The other one is gold stud earrings. These very low conductive, non ferrous, metals that will barely register on a metal detector. As an example, Sterling Silver will ring up in the 90’s, loud and clear. A Men’s Gold Ring will come in and show up, as a 20 into the 60’s, depending on the size and shape. Gold stud earrings and very thin chains will only register in the 01 to 03 range and just as a whisper. In order to metal detect these items, you must set up your detector properly, to find these items. You must have the proper technique also. You have to cover an area as slowly as you can. I do not walk through the area, swinging the coil. I take one step swing the coil, low and slow, take a half step, swing, low and slow, repeating this for the entire search. If you are walking through the area, swinging, you may not find it. You must also use the proper coil, as small as possible. I have 4 coils that I swap out, depending on the job. For this search, I went with my most sensitive and smallest coil, the 8” elliptical coil. We agreed that I would search, first thing in the morning, at 8:00am
Because I was not certain on how large of an area, would need to be searched, I enlisted the help of Gary Hill. Gary and I arrived promptly at 8:00am and were greeted by both Carly and Taylor. We were shown the area in which the dog had jumped on Carly and where she thought the Tiffany Bracelet would be, if the bracelet hadn’t ended up on the dog and moved to another area. Gary and I decided that we would split the area, in half. Gary would search the lawn area, closest to the road and he would work his way towards the house and I would start near the house, working my way towards the road. As I slowly walked towards the corner of the house, I received a few low conductor targets in the 12 to 15 range. Not low enough to be the Tiffany Bracelet and the depth, of the targets, were anywhere from 2 to 6 inches, in the ground, according to the depth gauge, on my Minelab Manticore. As Gary and I continued to search, I received the best target of the morning. A target reading 01 – 02 and exactly the reading I was looking for. I looked down and didn’t see the bracelet. I ran my fingers through the grass, hoping to snag the bracelet, but nothing was found. I told Taylor, who was very close to me, visually searching, for the target and he came over. As I was reaching for my pinpointer, Taylor started running his fingers through the grass and pushing the grass back. All of a sudden I hear him say, there it is and when I bent down, he showed me the Tiffany Bracelet , all balled up, deep in the grass. No wonder it wasn’t visually found, it was blending in with the grass and hidden by the grass, on top of that. Carly came running over and couldn’t be we had found it, thanking Gary and I. As Carly and Taylor looked at the bracelet, they could see one of the links had broken, when the dog jumped up on her. She and Taylor would be bringing the bracelet to a jeweler, to be repaired and it should be as good as new. Carly and Taylor thanked us again as were preparing to leave, telling up that they were amazed we found it and that they never would have found it, down deep in the grass like that. Gary and I thanked them for having the faith and trust, in us to find their sentimental piece of jewelry. When I asked Carly if the Tiffany Bracelet had been a gift or anything else special to it, she told me that she and Taylor had bought it together, the week they were married, a few years earlier. Thankfully we were able to find the Tiffany Bracelet and put the smiles back on their faces. Funny how finding a Tiffany “Smile” Bracelet put a smile on all of our faces. Who doesn’t love putting smiles on peoples faces ❤️🙏

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Titanium Wedding Ring Lost In The Wells Beach Maine Ocean Surf, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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I received the following voicemail, on Thursday August 7th, 2025.

Hi, This is Pat *******. I’m in Wells Beach, for the week. The tides going out, um, I was just in the water and I lost my wedding ring. My wife says she’s been following you and you’re really good at finding rings. So I was just wondering if you would be able to help with tips or tricks for us. Again, my name is Pat ******* and my phone number is 860-***-****, This is my wife’s, Michele’s phone. Thank you.

I immediately called Pat back and told him I would get there asap. Low tide was at 4:23pm and it was now 1:35pm. This means that Pat lost his wedding ring at approximately midway, between high and low tide. If I could get to Wells Beach by 2:30pm, I would have two sold hours of searching the wet sand, as I followed the tide out.
Cheryl and I got the equipment loaded and headed to Wells, Maine. We actually made good time, as we missed the heavy summertime traffic. We arrived at 2:15pm and were on the Beach with Pat by 2:25pm. Pat showed me the area he had been in, when he lost his ring. He also told me his wedding ring was made out of Titanium. Less than a week earlier, I had found a Titanium Wedding Ring, for a client, on Drake’s Island , Wells Maine. I made a southern and northern boundary and started grid searching from south to north, then north to south and repeated this pattern as I made my way towards the water. I was finding a few coins and pieces of aluminum but not the Titanium Wedding Ring. At one point, a young woman approached me and Pat. She told me that her husband had just lost his wedding ring, out in the water, earlier in the day. Pat explained his circumstances and she understood I was already searching for Pats ring. I gave her my business card and told her if I find Pat’s ring quickly, I would come over and help her and her husband. Unfortunately there was only a little over an hour left, before the tide shifted and would start coming back in. If I couldn’t search for her today, I told her to call me and I would come back tomorrow. She agreed and thanked me and I resumed the search for the wedding ring.
I had covered quite a large area and it was now only a half hour before low tide. Pat and I wondered if the ring could have made it this far down the slope of the beach. I was quite a bit further out, from where Pat thought he was, when the ring disappeared, in the surf. Perhaps because Titanium is a light metal, the ring got pulled out, with the surf. The Titanium Wedding Ring I found less than a week earlier had done exactly that. I found the ring, 60-80 feet further out towards the water, than where it was lost. Was history repeating itself? So, with just a half hour left before the tide turned, I jumped over about 20’ or so and headed into the shallow surf. This would allow me to stay ahead of the incoming tide, by now working my way towards shore, opposite of what I had been doing. After about 10 minutes, I was out of the water and just the waves would run up and over my feet. As one of the waves swept over my ankles and feet, I received a very loud signal. The best sounding signal of the day. As the water rushed back out to sea, I looked down to where the signal had been detected. The water was now past my feet and I couldn’t believe my eyes. I could actually see the top of the ring. It wasn’t even totally under the sand. I raised my arm and made a celebratory fist, pumping it up and down. UNBELIEVABLE. This is the first time in my 25 years of metal detecting that I could visually see a ring, that was lost hours ago, in the water. I was and still am completely at a loss of words at this sight. Since the waves were coming back over my feet again, I immediately stepped on the ring, so it wouldn’t move. I saw Pat running down the sloping beach towards me, as was Cheryl. When Pat arrived I told him I had found the ring and that I could visually see it. I then lifted my foot, Pat saw the ring and quickly grabbed it. It’s just the craziest thing. Pat’s wife, Michele, had gone up the house, so Pat called her with the good news. Cheryl and Michele had been sitting and watching me for two hours and Michele really wanted to be there when I found the ring, because she follows me and loves reading my stories. Now, unfortunately, she has missed the recovery. But, because of her following me, Pat now has his wedding ring back and that is the important thing. Pat and Michele were extremely happy to have his wedding ring back. Michele told us that she and Pat would be celebrating their third anniversary, in October. Even bigger news, is that the happy couple are expecting their first child, in December and they are very happy and excited about this. Thankfully Pat has his wedding ring back in time for his anniversary and the birth of their child. Smiles were on all our faces and Cheryl and I are just so happy to have been able to help them, in our own way😀❤️🙏

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