This search started just before 6 pm on Jan. 2nd, 2026, when I received a phone call from Jack saying his friend Kai had lost his Clemson class ring. Jack confirmed they were in the dry sand and that they would meet me there. I told him I’d be there in 30-45 minutes, grabbed my Equinox 800 and was on my way.
When I got there, I followed Jack into the resort and back to where they were on the beach. I got to meet Kai, and he explained that he had been throwing a Frisbee when he felt the ring come off. A huge help was the fact that Kai and Jack had set two beer cans in the sand where Kai had been standing. They also left the Frisbee where it landed with another beer can in the sand. They were just above the high tide line when this happened. So, I started a north/south grid search between the two areas stretching the search out in both directions with no luck. I finally asked Kai to demonstrate his throw and when he did, I knew I wasn’t in the right area. In his demonstration, he showed that he heaved the Frisbee with his hand ending up high and to the far right. It was pitch black and getting cold, so I talked with Kai and Jack and told them I was there until I found it or exhausted searching the entire area. I also told them if they wanted to leave that I would definitely call them and keep them updated. I think both Jack and Kai’s girlfriends were with them plus a couple of others and they were getting hungry. Again, I assured them I’d stay connected and they left. I redirected my search to past the landing point of the Frisbee and higher up on the beach, just off the dunes. On my first line and just about even with where Kai had been standing, I got a solid hit. Knowing the ring was a heavy yellow gold ring, the VDI (visual display indicator) would show up in the mid to high teens. This signal was coming up in the 17-18 range. It took 3 scoops to get the target out, which surprised me that it was so deep. Got the target out of the hole, turned on my head lamp and saw the target in the pile of sand. It wasn’t until I picked up the target, cleaned the sand off it that I realized I had Kai Clemson ring. I took a quick picture and sent it to Jack and immediately got a call back. Jack said they’re turning around and would be there in 5 minutes. Kai came running out on the beach to where I was and I showed him the hole and where it was in conjunction to where he was standing when he threw the Frisbee. We walked back to the cars, he thanked me again and we said our goodbyes. He left a very happy young man!
Jack – Thank you so much for giving me a call to help.
Kai – I’m so happy that I was able to find and return your lost treasure. Take care and the best to you!
Jim
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