Edward Trapper, Author at The Ring Finders

Engagement Ring Lost in Yard, Freehold NJ, recovered by Edward Trapper, NJ Ring Finder

  • from Lavallette (New Jersey, United States)
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Jim contacted me via email about finding a ring that had been lost in his yard the day before. I replied and asked him to call me, which he did. During our conversation, he explained that he had hosted a large outdoor party with many guests, and at the end of the evening, Brenda realized her engagement ring was missing. She was certain she had worn it to the party but couldn’t find it the next morning. After an extensive search of his yard without success, Jim decided to reach out for help.

We arranged to meet the following day around dinnertime. When I arrived, Jim explained that the party had been quite lively, with a lot of drinking and horsing around, which likely led to Brenda’s ring falling off. He showed me the area where most of the guests had been, and I decided to start near the house and work my way outward.

As I searched, I picked up no promising signals and began to feel concerned. I asked Jim a few more questions about where Brenda might have been during the party. He mentioned it was possible she had wandered near the pool or further into the yard, but most of the activity had taken place in the side yard.

I continued my search in the side yard, and just as I was nearing the end of the area, I got a sweet, unmistakable tone. I immediately suspected it was the ring. Sure enough, after clearing away a bit of grass, I uncovered Brenda’s engagement ring, just an inch below the surface.

Another happy ending that could have easily been a disaster. Jim and Brenda were thrilled, and I was glad to have played a part in recovering such an important piece of jewelry.

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Lost Wedding Ring, Point Pleasant Beach NJ, recovered by Edward Trapper, NJ Ring Finder

  • from Lavallette (New Jersey, United States)
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Valerie called, asking if I could come to the beach to help find her brother’s wedding ring. They had all been at the beach the day before, playing spike ball behind their towels, and it was only later that evening that her brother realized his ring was missing. They were sure it had to be where they had been playing. I told her I could head out that evening, after the beach cleared a bit, as it was a hot, busy day. I also mentioned that the beach they were at was heavily searched by metal detectorists after hours. Luckily, the area where they had been playing was farther back from the typical search zones.

I arrived at the beach about 30 minutes before Valerie and began searching based on the pictures and aerial map she had sent. I hadn’t had any luck when I noticed a text from Valerie and her friend, Dave, letting me know they had arrived. I showed them the area I had already covered, and they realized they were actually about 50 to 75 feet farther back than they initially thought. Fortunately, the area was still clear despite the warm evening.

After about 15 minutes of searching in the new area, I got a solid tone on my metal detector. Sure enough, it was what we believed to be her brother’s wedding ring. Valerie wasn’t certain at first, but after texting her brother, he confirmed it was his. We took a few pictures and did a video call with him to share the good news. He was so grateful to have his wedding band back. Another successful recovery!

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Gold Wedding Ring lost in the Ocean, Loveladies NJ, LBI, recovered by Edward Trapper, NJ Ring Finder

  • from Lavallette (New Jersey, United States)
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Kevin sent me an email about his lost ring in the ocean. He had been waist-deep in the water when, while catching a football, the ring popped right off. He provided all the key details—time of day, water depth, and exact location—which made it easier to plan the recovery. We agreed to attempt the search, and I headed out during the next low tide.

When I arrived, Kevin’s father met me on the beach and pointed out the spot where Kevin had been. He even reenacted the moment Kevin caught the football. Water recoveries can be slow, and after 45 minutes of going back and forth over the area, I still hadn’t found anything. But I kept at it, and eventually, I got a sweet low tone from my metal detector—a promising signal.

Digging in the crashing surf was tricky, and I missed the ring on my first two scoops. But finally, the ring was safe in my scoop. I walked slowly up to Kevin’s father, who was sitting nearby. I told him I had searched the entire area Kevin described, only getting one signal. Then, I pulled the ring from my scoop. The look on his face was priceless—pure relief and surprise.

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Spring Lake NJ, Wedding Ring Lost in the sand, recovered by Edward Trapper, NJ Ring Finder

  • from Lavallette (New Jersey, United States)
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Erin had posted on her local Facebook page about her husbands lost wedding ring on the beach, providing detailed information about the location. Several followers of NJ Ring Finder tagged me in the post, and Erin soon reached out for help. The first thing I advised her was to remove the location details to prevent anyone else from trying to hunt for it. By the time she contacted me, the ring had already been on the beach for 24 hours. Fortunately, I knew the area well—it wasn’t a frequently searched beach, so I felt confident the ring would still be there.

Since Erin had already returned home for the weekend, we arranged for me to meet her parents on the beach the following day. When I arrived, they met me on the boardwalk, and as we walked toward the location, they explained what had happened when the ring was lost. They were fairly certain about the general area, though it was a bit large, and if it wasn’t there, suggested it might be a few feet farther north, closer to the lifeguard chair.

I began methodically working my way back and forth through the marked area. As I passed by where Erin’s parents were sitting, her father pointed out some trash, seaweed, and shells that he remembered being there when the ring was lost. He was confident this was the exact spot. Just a few swings of my detector later, I got a nice low tone—one that very well could have been the ring. Sure enough, as I shook the sand out of my scoop, I heard the unmistakable clink of metal.

Erin’s parents were amazed that I found the ring, and with that, another happy ending to a weekend on the Jersey Shore!

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Spring Lake NJ, Necklace/Pendant lost in the sand, recovered by Edward Trapper, NJ Ring Finder

  • from Lavallette (New Jersey, United States)
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How to find ring with metal detector

Mitchell called about finding his lost chain and pendant, which had gone missing on a busy beach two days earlier. I reassured him that it might still be there and suggested we give it a shot. We agreed to meet by the closest road to where he had set up his chair that day.

I arrived a bit early and decided to start searching. The area was large, and I mostly found trash—usually a bad sign, indicating that another detector might have already combed the area. Something didn’t feel right, though, so I went back to review my notes. Mitchell had mentioned being closest to the middle chair, but when I first arrived, I only saw two chairs. Now that some swimmers had left, a third chair was visible, and everything clicked into place—I had been searching in the wrong spot.

This was a reminder of why it’s crucial for the person who lost the item to be there, and arriving early had thrown me off. Just as I realized this and headed to the correct location, I saw another detectorist pass by the spot where Mitchell believed his necklace should be. Fortunately, Mitchell had already arrived and confirmed the location, so we quickly began the search.

Within moments, I found his necklace safely in my scoop. Mitchell could hardly believe it; the necklace was a cherished family heirloom with immense sentimental value, and he had thought it was lost forever.

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Wedding Ring Lost in Bay, Surf City NJ, LBI, recovered by Edward Trapper, NJ Ring Finder

  • from Lavallette (New Jersey, United States)
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I noticed a text from Michelle, asking if I could help find her husband Jeff’s lost wedding ring. I asked her to call, as it’s much easier to discuss details over the phone. She explained that they were at the beach with their children when Jeff’s ring had been pulled off his finger. Fortunately, Jeff was certain of the general area where it was lost, as their daughter is young and they had stayed in a fairly small section of the beach. I told Michelle I could meet them shortly, and we agreed on a time.

One concern she had was that they had dinner reservations for 5:30 and didn’t know if they needed to stay while I searched. I reassured her that as long as Jeff could meet me at the beach to point out the spot, they wouldn’t have to stay the entire time.

A short while later, I arrived, grabbed my gear, and we headed out to the location where their chairs had been set up. Jeff suggested we start in the deeper part of the area where he felt the ring had slipped off his finger. We began working in a back-and-forth pattern, covering about a 75-foot-wide area, but after six or eight passes, there was still no sign of the ring.

At that point, I decided to return to where we had started and gradually work my way closer to the shoreline. I could see the concern growing on Jeff’s face as time was ticking, and every search path was coming up empty. After covering such a large area without success, we decided it was time to change strategies. I planned to search a new section further south, but before moving on, I made the decision to do one or two more passes toward the shoreline.

It was a good thing I did because just a few feet into the next path, my metal detector let out a sweet tone that I was almost certain was Jeff’s ring. On the first scoop, there it was! I held it up with a shout of, “I’ve got it!” Jeff was overwhelmed with joy, amazed that I had found the ring after nearly an hour of searching.

Just as his wife Michelle arrived, we all shared in the excitement. Moments like these—seeing the relief and happiness on people’s faces when their lost valuables are recovered—are what make this work so rewarding. Another successful recovery for the 2024 season!

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Little Egg Harbor NJ, Heirloom Ring lost in Lagoon, recovered by Edward Trapper, NJ Ring Finder

  • from Lavallette (New Jersey, United States)
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Kyle initially contacted another local ring finder about his wife’s rings, which had been dropped into a lagoon a day or two earlier. Since he wasn’t in the area, the call was referred to me. After speaking with Kyle, he explained that his wife had taken off her rings while in the water, right by the ladder, and as she was handing them up, they slipped out of her hand and sank into the lagoon.

Once I learned the location, I knew this recovery would be particularly challenging. The mud in that area of New Jersey is black, soft, and essentially bottomless. It’s critical to take proper precautions, as working in those conditions can be dangerous.

When I arrived, I got straight to work, carefully scanning the area with my metal detector to identify promising signals before digging into the thick, black, pudding-like mud. After about 30 minutes of searching, I successfully recovered one of the rings. I continued looking for another hour but couldn’t find the others.

Fortunately, the ring I found was the family heirloom—the one they were most eager to get back. The black mud can be incredibly tricky, as items tend to sink quickly, and I suspect that’s what happened to the remaining rings. Nonetheless, they were relieved to have recovered the most sentimental piece.

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Diamond Engagement Ring lost in the sand, Lavallette NJ (OB3) recovered by Edward Trapper, NJ Ring Finder

  • from Lavallette (New Jersey, United States)
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Jersey shore ring finder

I was spending the holiday weekend with my family at Island Beach State Park when I received a frantic call from Megan. She was incredibly upset, having just lost her rings in the sand moments before. While she had managed to recover two of them, her cherished engagement ring was nowhere to be found. I calmed her down, advising her to stop digging and simply wait, assuring her I would be there in a few hours. Since Megan and her family were staying for the day and had secured the area with their beach gear, there wasn’t an urgent rush. Had the situation been different, I would have dropped everything and headed there immediately.

When I arrived, Megan pointed out the area where the ring had gone missing, and I wasted no time getting to work. Initially, I had to clear a few loud signals that were overpowering the delicate tone of her ring. Once those were taken care of, my metal detector honed in on the ring’s unique signal. Within seconds, her engagement ring was safely in my scoop. The relief on her face made the search all the more rewarding!

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How to Find a Lost Ring , Ship Bottom NJ, LBI, recovered by Edward Trapper, NJ Ring Finder

  • from Lavallette (New Jersey, United States)
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It was very late in the evening when I heard my phone ding, it was the sound of an incoming text. The text was from Skylar, who had earlier in the day, lost 3 extremely precious rings, with great sentimental value. Unfortunately, the exact location information was also posted on a local Facebook page. I will ALWAYS make contact and request that information to be pulled down immediately, just for safe keeping. It was around 3 A.M., and when we finally made phone contact, Skylar agreed pulled down the location info, as I was going to head out to the location and attempt to recover the rings. Once I arrived and made just a few short sweeps of the area, my metal detector signaled a real nice high tone, which was consistent with the material her rings were made of. Sure enough, in the first scoop, BINGO, all 3 rings were safely in my possession, waiting to be returned, later that day. I sent Skylar a picture while we were on the phone, but prior to telling her I had the rings. I could tell by the tone of her voice when she opened the pic, she was in total shock. Its those moments that make this so rewarding. We arranged to meet half way to return her rings, talk a bit, and snap a few pics.

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Wedding Ring lost on the Beach, Lavallette NJ, recovered by Edward Trapper, NJ Ring Finder

  • from Lavallette (New Jersey, United States)
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  Wolfie contacted me about locating his brand new wedding ring. He explained that after spending the day at the beach, he notice his ring went missing after they returned home for the day. Unfortunately, this happens quite often with newlyweds, as they are not used to having the ring on their hand, so it hasn’t become habit to notice it missing.  I wasn’t able to head right out as I usually do, but assured him I would be out later closer to low tide. I had him do all the essentials in the mean time, pin location in google maps, take pictures of the location, secure the area if possible, and make some kind of identifying mark of the spot just encase all other measures failed. It was very dark that night which limited my visibility, even with the bright headlamp. As I was still maneuvering to the pinned location, Wolfie showed up and put me right on the spot they were set up that day. Within about 5 minutes  my metal detector sounded off a sweet low tone, which was consistent with the ring he had described. Sure enough, Wolfe’s ring was now safely in my sand scoop, soon to be back on his finger, just after a few quick pics for my recovery story.

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