Gregg Larabel, Author at The Ring Finders

Lightening strikes twice in one week. First a class ring, second a wedding ring at the same beach in Onekama, Michigan. I saw a posting on  Facebook by Eric B. who was playing volleyball in 3 to 4 feet of water in Lake Michigan. I contacted Eric and told him I could meet him out at the beach that evening. I got there before Eric but he gave me the information and location on an earlier message. I gathered my equipment and got started. After setting up a grid, on the second pass I found his yellow gold wedding ring. I walked up to the parking area and put away my equipment and Eric drove up. I showed Eric the ring and after he  described the writing inside, I handed the ring to him. He was surprised and happy I found it so quick. He was up here vacationing with his family and this made the rest of the time here a happy time. I love doing this job and putting smiles on faces.

I got a referral from Dave Boyer, a Ringfinder, a couple days ago and contacted Evan B. about his lost Citadel class ring in Lake Michigan. I drove from Manistee to Onekema about a 20 minute drive and met Evan. He was throwing a ball to his dog out into the lake. The ball and the ring , which was very heavy, flew into the water. The dog got the ball and the lake got the ring. The waves were pretty big that day but I tried to grid an area without success so I told Evan I would be back in the morning to try again. Friday morning the waves weren’t as bad but the water turned over in the lake and was so cold I told him I would be back in the evening with my wet suit. I called a friend to come out and help me as it would cut the area to search in half.

The water was calmer and I began my search in the area where it was lost. Going out about 60′ with a grid about 20′ x 20′ no luck. After about 30 minutes the ring turned up in the scoop closer to the shore than Evan figured it went. The toss of his hand must have been in more of a downward motion.  Vacation in Onekama, Michigan and Lake Michigan you will love it visit “Pure Michigan”.

I received a call from a friend, Chuck R., who refereed a man to me who lost his wedding ring while clearing debris off his boat dock. I contacted Matt A. and made arrangements to come out and find his ring. On Sunday morning I got my gear together and drove an hour and a half from Manistee, MI to Houghton Lake.

When I got there I met Matt’s nephew and he showed me the area where Matt’s ring came off. I gathered my gear and entered the water and 5 minutes later the ring was in his hand. This was my first find of the new season. I never get tired of this fun job and making another person happy.

I got a call from Lois F. telling me her boyfriend threw her rings over her garage. When Dave Boyer (Ringfinder friend) and I got to the house Lois explained to us that after a disagreement her fiance’ took her rings off the table and walked out the side door of her house and threw her 3 rings over her garage. That was the scenario. Lois had a video from her security cameras showing him going through the motion of tossing something. The rings we were looking for was a diamond engagement, a grandmothers ring and a mothers ring. We started our search in her neighbors back yard which was deep grass and overgrown with bushes, flowers, metal fence and trash. We then looked on top of the roof of the garage and her back yard. After going through the yards sometimes on our hands and knees we found nothing. We thought we would find at least one of the rings but did not. Our suspicions, after repeated views of the video, was that the boyfriend never threw the rings.

Lois called her fiance’ and asked him, “the search did not turn up any rings, did you really throw them?”  He said he was trying to get her attention and would not throw $6,000 worth of rings away. So a video does not always tell the true story. I am sure they have made up and are now happy in their lives together.

I got a call from Jolanta L. the other day, She lost a key to her front door. I gathered my detector and picked up my fellow Ringfinder, Dave Boyer and headed to her house. Arriving to her house Jolanta explained that she was at the park behind her home playing with her grandchild. when she got back to the house she noticed here key was missing from her hoody pocket. The grassy area was about 50′ x 50′, after a short grid search the key was found. It took us longer to walk to the park than it did to find her key. She was happy to have her key returned and will go out and get some extra ones made.

I received a call from Sam E. regarding his wife, Ashley, who lost her ring while relaxing in about 3 feet of water with some friends. While kneeling in the water swishing her hands through the sand she felt her ring come off. Ashley and her friends immediately tried to sift through the sand, seashells and water to no avail. Ashley had the wherewithal to take a picture of a landmark as to where they were kneeling in the water. I went out that afternoon to look for the ring as it was a public beach an other detectors frequented that area. After a couple hours searching for the ring it appeared in my scoop with shells and sand.

Sam and Ashley live in Brighton, Michigan about 150 miles away so I had to mail the ring. Although I have never met them in person, I know they were very grateful to get her ring back on her finger.

Maybe we will meet someday.