Jim Wren, Author at The Ring Finders | Page 18 of 22

Lost Key FOB Lost in the Sand – Found and Returned North Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

I got a phone call around 8:15pm from my son-in-law (Donnie), a NMB policeman, about a lady who had lost her Key FOB on the beach. A few minutes later he texted me her phone number. I contacted Dana and found out the details of what happened with her keys . She said she was sitting on the beach and decided to go into the water to take some pictures of her daughters from an ocean view. After coming out of the water and walking back to her car she realized she didn’t have her key FOB any longer. She wasn’t sure whether she lost them on the walk out on the beach, in the area she was sitting or in the water. This all happened about 7:30pm with an incoming tide. I asked her if she’d like for me to come out and see if I could find them, she agreed and I was on my way. She really didn’t have many options considering a spare FOB was at home with her husband which is about 7 hours away.

I met Dana, her father, and 2 daughters in one of the public access parking lots and we walked out to the beach. By now it was a little after 9pm so I was concerned the keys might be under water. I told her I’d follow her out to where she thought the keys were at swinging the detector as we walked. We stopped about 25 yards from the access and she said this is about where she had been sitting, two swings over the area and bingo!!! Took a scoop of sand out of the hole, shook it over the ground and reached down, picked up her keys and handed them to her. She was in total disbelief.

Dana, thank you for trusting in me to help you find you lost keys, although not a diamond or gold ring, at the time that FOB was priceless.

Jim

Lady’s White Gold Wedding & Engagement Rings Lost, Recovered and Returned Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

I got a call a little after 11am today from Jamil from NY asking if I could help find his wife’s two rings in the sand. This was another lost ring call from Myrtle Beach so I called Matt Fry, the TRF for Myrtle Beach. Matt and I discussed the situation and he told me to go ahead and take the call. I called Jamil back and let him know I was on my way.

I met Jamil and his wife, Khatira on the beach with their 2 small children. Khatira told me she had taken her rings off and placed them in her lap, forgot them and stood up causing her rings to fly into the soft sand. After about 10 mins of searching, getting the lifeguard to move an umbrella and chairs I got the first tone and scooped up her engagement ring. A few more passes with the detector and I got the second tone and scooped up her wedding band. A very happy and relieved couple!

Jamil and Khatira, thank you for trusting me to find your lost treasure and for the very generous gift. Have a great time with the rest of your vacation and a safe trip back home.

Please watch the video of the recovery below.

Jim

 

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Metal Detecting on the beach in North Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

Tungsten Wedding Band Lost in the Sand – Found and Returned Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

James called me about 5:30pm tonight saying he lost his wedding band in the sand and wondered if I was available to help find it. While we were talking I found out the resort they were staying at was in Myrtle Beach which is TRF Matt Fry’s area. I called Matt and he told me to go ahead and take the call.

Got to the location in about 25 minutes and met James and his wife Angelia on the beach who are vacationing with their family from Canada. James pointed out the area and I started my grid search. About half way through my second pass I get the “tone”. Bingo, dug a scoop and saw his ring laying in the sand, picked it up, blew it off and handed it back to James. Their excitement of getting his ring back is what it’s all about.

James and Angelia, thank you very much for trusting in me to help find your ring and your generous gift. Have a very safe trip home tomorrow!!

Jim

14K Men’s Wedding Band Lost in the Ocean for 2 months – Found and Returned North Myrtle Beach, SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

I had orginally gotten a call on August 11th, 2016 from Jeff H. stating he had lost his wedding band in the ocean which turned out to be right at mid-tide. He went on to say he had been in and out of the ocean over the course of a few hours and wasn’t really sure when, where or how deep he was when it slipped off his finger. I was just wrapping up another ring find with Jim Brouwer and was waiting for the couple to come back to the beach to get their ring when Jeff called. Jim agreed to go ahead and head to Jeff’s resort and start looking and I followed soon after.

When I got to the resort Jim already had a grid search going from the mid tide line seaward so I started a grid search at the current tide line and worked seaward. After a few hours, the tide turned, we weren’t having any luck and it was getting dark and neither one of us had our head lamps so we called it quits. I made at least 3 maybe 4 more trips out and searched north/south and east/west grids and felt really confident that I had covered the area as well as I could.

Fast forward to Hurricane Mathew, we didn’t get the sand movement on the beach that we (the guys that metal detect) had hoped for but we did have some. There’s 3 lost rings that I had gotten calls on this summer that I haven’t found yet so I thought this would be a good opportunity to give each one another shot. Jeff’s ring was number 2 on my list so I had planned on going out this week for one last crack at it. Oddly enough, Jeff text me Saturday evening (Oct 15th) asking “did the hurricane wash up my ring?” We text back and forth and I let him know I was going to give it one more shot. Shortly after we finished I contacted my son-in-law Donnie and asked if he was available to help find this ring sometime this week. We set it up to search at low tide Monday (Oct 17th). I got there maybe 10 minutes before Donnie and was working a grid from the middle of the resort north and from the wet sand to about chest deep in the ocean. When Donnie showed up I had him start his grid from the south side of the resort and work north to the middle, this way our machines wouldn’t be interfering with each other and we could cover the area quickly before the tide turned. I was digging a target in the wet sand within 10 minutes of Donnie starting his grid search when he walked up behind me and dropped a ring on the sand at my feet. I looked at it and couldn’t believe he’d found Jeff’s ring after 2 months in the ocean. We confirmed the inscription on the inside of the ring with what Jeff had told me and BINGO, we had a match!

I took a picture of the ring and text Jeff and then called him. In his own words he was speechless. I’ll never know whether the hurricane helped move enough sand or the extra low tide helped us get out to the deeper ocean but nonetheless Jeff has his ring back where it belongs. Along with the picture he sent me of him and his wife, Michelle, he also sent me the picture with their hands together titled “back together”. There’s nothing more I can add!

Donnie, thank you for all your help and making it possible to get this ring home.

Jeff and Michelle, thank you for trusting in me to help find your treasure. Best of luck to you both!!

Jim

  

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Man’s Palladium Wedding Band Lost in the Ocean – Found and Returned North Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

I got a call from Mary D. saying that she had posted on CL about her husband Tim’s lost wedding band and had gotten an e-mail from someone referring me, that someone turned out to be my son-in-law. I explained that I was a member of The Ring Finders and an independent metal detectorist that could help find her husband’s lost ring. She said that he had lost it at approximately 1pm (roughly 2 hours before high tide) and somewhere within a 2 block area. This big of an area was going to be a tough search but I agreed to meet them on the beach in about 15 minutes.

When I arrived I met both Mary and Tim and thankfully Tim narrowed the search area down to about a 40ft width and out in the surf about 30-40 ft. I told them what I was going to do in the way of the search and told them they didn’t need to stick around and that I’d call them when I found it. I started a north/south grid search working the wet sand to make sure it wasn’t lost there. I then changed to an east/west grid running from the wet sand out to waist deep water. My sixth line, in thigh deep water, I get a great signal on my White’s PI, take a scoop of sand, shake it out and there’s the ring staring back at me. I called Mary and had her verify the inscription in the ring which was 4/16/16, the date they got married, she identified the inscription and I told her I had the ring in my hand. Ironically their wedding month and day were the same as me and my wife’s. It was also ironic that Tim’s dad and I were both in the Coast Guard together although we didn’t know each other but we had served at a couple of the same duty stations but not at the same time.

When Tim and Mary showed up to get their ring they were both shocked that it was found but extremely happy it was.

Tim and Mary, Thank you for trusting in me to find your lost treasure and best of luck to both of you in all your future endeavors.

Jim

Tim and Mary Devin Tim's Ring

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Sentimental Tri-color 10K Gold Ring Lost in the Intracoastal Waterway – Found and Returned Holden Beach NC.

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

I got a call from Heidi A. on Sunday, August 28th asking if I could possibly help find her toe ring that she lost while swimming with her sister-in-law Jennifer in the Intracoastal Waterway at Holden Beach NC. Heidi went on to say that the ring was specially made from another ring that had been given to her. She also said that she had noticed her toe ring was gone as she was leaving the water and that her foot had sunk up to her ankle in the mud. I got the area it was lost in, checked the tide table and saw I had a small window of opportunity for low tide and started the 45 minute drive.

When I arrived at the spot it was around 10pm and pitch black, on top of that there were broken clam and oyster shells all over the beach and with every step I was getting stuck in the mud. I searched for about an hour and a half from the high tide line to mid tide and called it a night. The next day I arrived a little before low tide and searched for an hour and a half knee deep in mud and my feet were cut up from the shells and still didn’t have any luck.

I decided to pick up a pair of hip waders and give it another try two days later. The hip waders worked great but I still wasn’t finding the ring. I talked to Heidi and she had mentioned that Jennifer was going to be back that weekend. I suggested that Jennifer meet me either Saturday or Sunday to give me a more exact area where the ring was lost.

Jennifer met me on Sunday during low tide, showed me the area she thought it was in but thought Heidi might have lost it in the mud and not the water. I had my White’s PI and decided to start my grid in the right corner and go straight out to knee deep water and work the grid from the shore to the water and back. First target was in the mud and was a fishing weight. I walked out to about upper calf depth and got a second target, as I’m separating the thick mud with my fingers in the scoop I hear the clank of something metal – BINGO!!! I washed the ring off and walked back up to Jennifer, who had stuck around and said “boy these conditions are horrible”. I’m pretty sure Jennifer thought I was all finished until I stuck my closed fist out to her and dropped Heidi’s ring in her hand. I love seeing the expressions on people’s faces when I give them back a lost treasure. Although it wasn’t Heidi, I think Jennifer did a really good job in showing her excitement for Heidi.

I took a picture of the ring and sent it and a text to Heidi saying “Surprise!”. I think it took Heidi less than 10 seconds to call me. She couldn’t believe it.

Unfortunately Heidi had to wait a few days before she got her ring back but she knew for sure it was on its way.

Thank you Jennifer for putting me in the right spot which was a tremendous help and a huge time saver.

Thank you Heidi for the very generous reward and the Starbucks gift card (I love Starbucks). Also thank you very much for trusting in me to find your lost treasure.

Jim

Heidi's Gold Toe Ring Heidi

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Man’s Platinum Wedding band Lost in the Ocean – Found and Returned North Myrtle Beach

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

Got a call from Eleazar A. before 7am on Friday, August 12th asking if I could help find his Platinum wedding band that he lost the day before in knee to waist deep water right around mid-tide. Unfortunately I and Jim Brouwer were on our way to NC to look for another lost ring from 6 days ago. I told Eleazar that I’d call him back when we finished that search and set up a time to meet. We finished up the first search with negative results so we headed back to North Myrtle Beach. I called Eleazar and told him we’d meet him on the beach in about an hour and a half.

Eleazar met Jim and I as we pulled into a parking spot and took us to the area him, his wife Natalie and 2 children had been sitting the day before and explained that he had been playing with the kids and boogie boarding about the mid-tide line and shortly after that he realized his ring had come off. He had made numerous observations on his location when he lost his ring which in the end was a great help. Jim took the water line and worked the incoming tide while I took the dry sand and worked my way down to the mid-tide line. Neither one of us were getting many targets which meant the beach was heavily sanded in. Jim and I made the decision to come back in the evening at low tide and left.

I showed back up about 8:30pm (an hour and twenty minutes before low tide) and started following the tide out in the area that Eleazar gave us with no luck at all. Twenty minutes or so before low tide I decided to expand my grid search south and went into the surf about knee deep. Within 20-30 steps I get a great signal on the Gold quest PI, dig a scoop and Bingo – I heard the heavy Platinum ring rattling around in the scoop and turned my head lamp on to confirm it. I walked back up to the hotel lights and took a picture of the ring and sent it with a text saying “Surprise!!”. I immediately got a text back from Eleazar saying “I’m on my way”. He shows up within seconds with his wife and 2 kids, that he just woke up, and his excitement was priceless. He was sure the ring was gone forever and I was starting to have my doubts as well. Trying to do a grid search in pitch black conditions with medium surf and an abundance of jellyfish is not an ideal way to search for anything let alone a small ring. But nonetheless his ring is back on his finger where it belongs.

Eleazar and Natalie, thank you so much for trusting me to find your precious ring and for the very generous reward. Have a very safe trip back home.

Jim

Eleazar and Natalie Eleazar's Platinum Ring

14K Man’s Wedding Band Lost in the Ocean – Found and Returned North Myrtle Beach

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

I got a call from Amanda J. on Thursday, August 11th asking for help in finding her husband’s gold wedding band. She went on to say they were on a little vacation from Greenville, SC and celebrating their 31st wedding anniversary. I was on my way back from out of town and told her I’d call her when I got close and we could meet on the beach.

I met up with Amanda and John to get the details on exactly what happened and learned John had been tossing a volleyball back and forth with their daughter Presley when he felt his ring come off. They showed me where they had been sitting and where John and Presley had been playing in the shallow water that was now completely under water with the incoming tide. Knowing that I was going to do some water searching and not having my water machine that was back in the shop for repairs, I contacted Jim Brouwer and asked if he had a water machine I could borrow. Once again Jim came through and gladly loaned me one of his many machines. While I had him on the phone I asked him if he wanted to tag along which he gladly accepted. While waiting for Jim I checked around where John and Amanda had been sitting and a little bit of the tide line with my AT Pro just to rule those areas out. Once Jim got there he gave me a quick lesson on his Gold quest PI and then we decided we’d come back in a few hours and work the outgoing tide.

Jim got back to the spot a few minutes before I did and had started working the water line up towards the dry sand. I tuned up my (new) machine, made a few practice runs with Jim’s (old) machine and started working from Jim’s first line seaward. Eight grid lines and 30 minutes later my new water machine gives me a banging signal, one scoop and up comes John’s Gold wedding band. I took a picture of me holding John’s ring and sent it with a text saying BINGO!!! Uh oh Amanda’s not calling me back. I gave her a few minutes and called her, when she answered I ask her if she had seen the text I sent. She checked her texts and I could hear her say “He found it!!!”. They were on their way back to their resort but made a U-turn and arrived back on the beach in about 5 minutes. I could tell by their faces that not only could that not believe the ring had been found but were trying hard to contain their emotions. I LOVE returning people’s special treasures!!!!

John and Amanda, Happy 31st Anniversary and may you celebrate many many more with the ring on John’s finger. Thank you so much for trusting in me to help find your treasure and for the very generous reward. Have a safe trip home.

Jim

John and Amanda

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Silver Wedding and Engagement Ring set Lost in the Ocean – Found and Returned Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

I got a call from Jodi, who was here on vacation with her family from South Dakota asking if I could help find a Wedding and Engagement ring set that was lost in waist deep water in Myrtle Beach. I told her Myrtle Beach was in Matt Fry’s area and I’d call him and one of us would call her back within 10 minutes. I called Matt who was busy with a work project he has to complete and he told me to go ahead and take the call. I called Jodi back, got the location and was on my way.

I arrived within 20 minutes and met Jodi, her brother, mother, father, and Sister Jenna and her husband Clayton on the beach. I found out that Jenna was the one who had lost her ring set and I could tell she was very upset as today was hers and Clayton’s 3 week anniversary. I got some additional details on the time, area and the depth they were when the rings came off. I started a grid search in knee deep water with my White’s PI, which I’ve been having problems with and had just gotten back from being repaired. About 10 minutes in the water and the PI started acting up again with a very low volume and just one steady tone – not good when I’m looking for someone’s treasure!!! Luckily I had brought my AT Pro just in case and it was a good thing I did. Thinking I’d have to work the water and not having a machine that could I called Jim Brouwer asking if he could help, as always he was on his way. Meantime I told Jenna what was going on and that I’d start at the tide line and work my way out while waiting for Jim to show up. As I got to the water line I moved farther south than the area they told me trying to figure out my starting point for the grid. As I start my grid I take 2 steps and get a good 46-47 on the AT Pro, I’m thinking no way. Took a scoop and dumped it on the ground and could see Jenna’s beautiful ring looking up at me. I’m chuckling as I pick it up and walk out to the surf to wash the sand off. I slipped her ring in my pocket, knowing it’s hers from the original description I got. I called Jim real quick and told him I had found it and then I walked back up the beach to Jenna and I asked her to tell me one more time what her rings look like. She’s getting her phone and trying to find a picture when I jokingly tell her she’s taking too long and does it look like this as I hold her ring up. Clayton was standing beside me and saw it in my hand but didn’t spoil the surprise for Jenna. Jenna looked up and she instantly covered her face with her hands trying to hold back her emotions. The excitement of everybody was unbelievable. There’s just nothing better than returning someone’s treasure!!

Jenna and Clayton thank you so much for the very generous reward and for trusting in me to help you find your beautiful rings. Happy 3 week anniversary and I hope all your future dreams come true.

Jim

Jenna and Clayton Jennas Ring

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