I got a call from Kaley after she found me in the ring finders directory saying she had lost her Clemson class ring the night before when she took a 3am late night stroll on the beach. She informed me she had lost the ring in Myrtle Beach which is TRF member Matt Fry’s area so I told her that I would call Matt and one of us would be calling her back within the next 10 minutes. I contacted Matt and filled him in on what was lost and the location. He told me he was too busy at work and had his own lost ring call to work in the evening and for me to go ahead and take Kaley’s lost ring. I called Kaley back and told her I’d be there in 30 minutes.
When I arrived I met Kaley on the beach behind her hotel and noticed the area was packed with families here on vacation. She gave me the description of the ring and a friend of hers had the same ring so I was able to run a test with my machine and get a visual idea of what I was looking for. She also told me she had rented a metal detector and didn’t have any luck in finding her ring or anything else. Unfortunately I was battling a rough incoming tide that was close to being at high tide and trying to work around families that were where I needed to search, not a good combination. So I told Kaley I’d be back in about an hour and work the outgoing tide and figured most of the families would be gone to dinner. When I got back the tide was outgoing but I think the families had increased. I was able to work around those in the surf but I’m thinking that if she lost her ring within 30 minutes of the high tide last night the ring should be pretty close to the high tide line and this would be a quick search – not the case!!! As I’m working my way down the tide line, I’m thinking there’s no way the ring could be this far down the slope of the beach. Finally at 8:30pm and a good 3 hours of searching the 75 yards of beach Kaley was sure she lost it in I got a good solid signal almost at the low tide line, dug a scoop full of sand and saw the gold in the bottom of the scoop. I either had somebody else’s ring or Kaley’s – bingo, it was Kaley’s. She was scheduled to leave some time today so I took a picture and texted her “look familiar?” She immediately texted me back with “OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS!!!” Luckily she was still in town and finishing up a game of putt putt golf, she showed up about 40 minutes later and came running out on the beach. She informed me that when she lost it at 3am she called her mom and dad crying, having 2 daughters of my own I could relate to this real easy. Got a few big hugs and many thank yous!
Kaley’s is a student pilot and is on her way to a new job in Wichita, KS and now gets to take her college ring with her. Kaley, you are a very sweet young lady, best of luck to you in all your future endeavors and thank you very much for the more than generous reward.
Jim
Thank you for reading my blog and please remember to contact a member of the ring finders as soon as possible after losing your valued treasure so it can get back where it belongs as soon as possible.
4 Replies to “Clemson Class Ring Lost in the Surf – Found and Returned Myrtle Beach SC”
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Jim, that was a lot of area to search. It’s so gratifying to find a ring after a difficult search. I am sure the owner was glad you found it!
Jim,
I don’t know how to thank you, as mere words cannot express the gratitude we have for what you did. You see, Kaley is my daughter. My one and only! When she called us at 3:00am and told us her ring was “gone”, our hearts sank. We know how much that ring means to her. We purchased the insurance to replace the ring when we bought it. But, to her it was just “not the same”. Knowing that there was NO WAY she would ever find her ring again, I tried to do what any dad would do. I told her it would be okay, “we will get you another one”. In my heart I knew she would never be happy with “another one”. Yet we had to do something! She told us she had contacted you and we thought “1 in a trillion chance” that you would find it.
When she forwarded us your text and the picture, we were blown away! This couldn’t be. It had to be “lost at sea”, “eaten by fish”, or “buried forever in the shifting sands”. But, YOU did it! You were the one in a trillion. So, from one dad to another, THANK YOU my friend. THANK YOU, for making my “little girl’s” wish a reality. We will be taking her to Kansas in a couple of weeks. I know that that meeting you and knowing what you did, will always be with her. Your kindness and the generosity of your time means so very much. Thank you again! Have a blessed day!
Jim,
I don’t think I can express the immense gratitude I have for your selfless time spent finding this for me. When my friends and I were out walking on the beach, it didn’t even occur to me that my ring could be caught in the waves and disappear from my hand, and in NO way did I think it was possible to find it. To say I was upset is an extreme understatement. After searching for about half an hour with cell phone flashlights, I had to wake up my parents with a very frantic phone call.
I rented a metal detector about seven hours later thinking I would be able to somehow locate the ring myself. When I got it back to the beach, it would not function for more than a matter of seconds and the frustration had me so disappointed and out of hope that I was about ready to give up. After a quick google search, I can say it was a godsend to find your contact. I’m so grateful that you were willing to make the drive to come help me in such short notice. Even when I thought there was no way to find anything amongst all of the people, your determination to keep looking was refreshing and so appreciated. When I received the picture and your text that you had found it in a matter of hours, I almost cried right in the middle of the putt-putt course. I couldn’t believe it!
This ring is very precious to me, in more ways than one. My dad was a Clemson grad, and sharing the tradition of the ring ceremony with him meant the world to me. I also received it alongside my last boyfriend, who was very recently taken from us in a horrific car accident. The ring represents tradition, legacy, and a whole lot of indescribable love.. sentimental value that had me heartbroken to lose. Though my dad tried to convince me that the legacy is what really matters, I knew that this particular ring would be something that I could never replace. Thank you for being a blessing in disguise and not giving up to return to me something that means more to me than you’ll ever know. I am forever grateful.
Thank you so much again for all of your patience and perseverance. I wish you the very best and many blessings!
Kaley,
Congratulations and good luck in Ks.
Jim,
Thanks for covering my 6. Great job!