Edward Duffey, Author at The Ring Finders | Page 5 of 8

I got call from Sean early in the day.  He said someone had lost a watch on the beach.  I asked the usual questions about its proximity to the water, and he said that it was in dry sand.  I told him that I would be there shortly.

When I arrived, Sean took me to a dune walkover.  There was a sitting area that was covered with sand.  He said the watch was lost somewhere between the sitting area and the cabana on the beach.

I fired up the D2 and did a complete sweep on the sitting area and the path to and inside the cabana.  Nothing but a few bottle caps.  Just then he remembered that the covering had been further to the south the previous day.  Again, nothing.  I had spent quite a bit of time.  If it were there, I should have found it.

I got more detailed information about the watch.  It was over 50 years old, silver and had been given to his wife’s mom by her mom who was born in 1918.  When I heard that, I told Sean, “We have to find it.”

I found out that Sean had not actually been with Grandma when she lost the watch so I asked if someone who was there could come down to the beach.  Donna, Sean’s mom came down and the puzzle started to fill in more.  They had walked down to the beach!

I immediately went to the water’s edge as I normally do when there is a chance that the item is in the water.  As I worked my way up, it wasn’t long until I got a strong 99 hit.  It was the watch.

When I gave the watch to Donna, she said, “I had been praying the entire time that you would find it.”  I told her that I pray every time before I search.

The family was thrilled!

I got a text at 3:46 but I was busy getting food ready for the grill.  As I was eating my ribs about 4:30, I noticed I had a new text.  It was from Olivia.  She said that she has lost her ring on the beach.

I gave Olivia a call and let her know rings lost close to the water need immediate attention.  The Outer Banks is known for it’s high-energy surf.  Once the ring is underwater, it’s not telling where it will end up.  Luckily the tide was receding but will only be going down until around 5:50PM.  I told her that I could be there in about 10 minutes.

When I arrived, I met Olivia and her friend Bessie.  They showed me where they had been sitting and the path they took to the beach.  The walked south for about 50 yards after that and then noticed the ring, which Olivia put in her pocket, was missing!

I fired up the D2 and followed her path to the beach.  I even went deeper than she had showed me thinking it may have been washed in by the very active waves.  Nothing!  I proceeded south along the path of her walk covering it from the water to the dry sand.  I found nothing but a few bottle caps.

I was heading back to Olivia to ask what we had missed.  I cut between where she had walked on the beach and where she had walked down to the beach.  Ding! A strong hit.  I scooped the top layer of sand carefully…the gold ring shined out brightly.  It was the ring!

I held it up and Olivia ran to get it.  She was over the moon!

I missed a call from Gary at about 4:30 pm.  But he left a message that said that his son had lost his iPhone on the beach.  After a bout of phone-tag I finally reached him and headed down to Kill Devil Hills.

When I arrived, I met Brian, the 19-year-old college student who had lost his phone.  Of course I realized how important this was…friends, pictures, class information…it was all on that iPhone!

As we walked down to the beach, Brian pointed out a lifeguard stand that was about 100 yards away.  He said he thought he had lost it between where we were and the lifeguard stand.  Lots of sand!  I asked him when he lost it and he replied about one in the morning.  Someone, including another detector, could have found it!

He thought he had lost it close to the stand, so I didn’t fire up the Deus 2 until I got about 50 yards away.  I got a few hits as I searched south to the stand, but they didn’t pan out and I didn’t even bring my scoop because I didn’t want to damage the phone.

Brian said he had walked from the stand in an arch, so I followed his lead as I started back north on the beach.  I got a hit, loud and identical to my test on my

iPhone.  It was Brian’s iPhone!!!

Friends, images, class information all found on the beach!  Dad and Son happy!!!!!

I received a text at 1pm Saturday.  A lady said her husband had lost his wedding band – on the beach – possible in the ocean.  I texted for her back and asked her to call.

Whitney called shortly after and said that her husband lost his ring.  He was almost sure he was in the surf when he lost it.  I asked the normal questions about where their chairs were and the areas they were in the ocean.  They knew the chances of finding the ring if it is in the water is much less.

I had to find it today, if I was going to, because we were forecast a tropical storm off the coast soon.  I ask Whitney if she could sing?  Her husband Justin said yes, she sings well.  I said, “We might have to have a song if I find the ring!”

I started in the dry sand hoping that he had lost it there but didn’t know it.  No such luck.  As I moved into the water, I was more intentional about covering every square inch.  Finally, I had a good hit.  I scooped but did not manage to get it.  Waves pushed me from target over and over.  I dug and dug with no luck.  I wasn’t going to give up on this.  After about 10 minutes on target, I had whatever it was.  I moved the scoop to the shore to inspect it.  It was a ring!

I went up to Whitney and said, “I really like the song, I Will Always Love You.”  Justin said, “Did you find it!”  I said maybe, do you have a picture?  As Whitney got her cell phone, I showed the ring to Justin.  Shouts of joy filled the beach!!!