Engagement ring lost when canoe capsized, Cincinnati, Ohio

“Would love to get your help if you’re available. My daughter lost her engagement ring in river today when our canoe capsized. It was today, Sunday, 6/11/17. We have the exact coordinates. It’s about 15-18 inches of water. We would be eternally grateful if you could help. THANK YOU!!!”.

I was knee deep in water searching for another lost ring when my phone received this message and unfortunately it was late afternoon when I retrieved it. Rain was forecast for the coming week and when it came it was very heavy at times. Though we tried searching during the next week, the water level was higher and the current stronger making searching tough and so we decided to try again when conditions had improved. Hoping for low water and reduced current, we had no idea I would be searching over two months for this ring.

The area where the ring was lost was challenging for canoes and the rains we received were exceptionally heavy for early summer and these factors combined to make searching challenging and sometime just not possible. Over the next few weeks I helped rescue capsized canoes and found many lost items, keys, glasses, phones, clothes, trash etc. When I could do so, I was also removing nails, fish hooks, scrap iron, pop cans, tabs and foil, all of the types of things I should have been finding, but unfortunately, there was no ring.

With ‘dog days’ came improving water conditions which we had hoped for and I continued searching, but again and again I left our search area without the ring. On Sunday August 20th, I decided to try again, just one last time. Going in after a lite rain I was apprehensive but widened my search area and after only about an hour I received several mixed signals, one was of the type I had been hoping for and I was both surprised and pleased to finally recover this ring in a hand full of rocks and gravel.

I was happy to help and so glad to be able to recover this engagement ring because the ring was lost not long after this couple’s wedding, but also because of this couple’s smiles indicating how happy they are to have it back beside the wedding band on the bride’s hand!

Chris Turner, founder of the Ring Finders is absolutely right, it is all about the smiles.

Best wishes and good luck to you all with your searches!