Jim Wren, Author at The Ring Finders | Page 3 of 25

Grandmother’s Silver 1963 Nursing School Graduation Ring Lost, Found and Returned Sunset Beach NC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)
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I received a call shortly after 3:30pm on Saturday, June 1st from Emily. She said she had lost a very sentimental ring in the soft sand and some locals recommended she call me. I told her I could be there in about 30 minutes, grabbed my gear and was on my way. On the way, I called Emily back to get some additional information. While I was talking to Emily, I had another call come in. When I finished the call with Emily, I called the 2nd caller back. That call was for a lost ring in the ocean and was time critical due to the changing tide.

Emily called me back as I was getting close to Sunset Beach and said her boyfriend was waiting by the street down the path from the beach access point. I parked and met her boyfriend who walked me out to the beach where I met Emily. Emily stated the ring was a silver ring that belonged to her grandmother. Emily showed me the suspected area, which was under a beach tent. I turned on the Nox 800 and searched the cleared area of the tent with nothing. I was moving toward the other half of the tent and asked if the chairs and a table could be moved. When the table was moved, one of Emily’s friends, TJ said, “Found it.” Not sure if the ring was sitting on top of the sand or got kicked up when the table was moved. So mission accomplished and Emily had her ring back. I headed out enroute to the next call.

Sunday, I text Emily back to get the full story of her ring that I didn’t get in my haste to answer the 2nd call. She graciously replied saying, “She had taken the ring off and sat it in her bag while working on a small art project to commemorate her and her boyfriend’s 1st beach trip together. The artwork involved glue, so she had taken her ring off and put it in her bag. Sometime later the tide came in and her and her friends were rushing to get the umbrellas and chairs moved higher on the beach. Her bag was knocked over in the process and she didn’t realize the loss until they made it back to the car.” She continued saying, “The ring was her grandmother’s graduation ring from nursing school class of 1963. Her grandmother passed in December and Emily has worn the ring every day since. Emily is completing nursing school and will graduate in the fall. She’s following in her grandmother’s footsteps.” The last thing Emily told me, that put this loss into perspective, was that “The ring may not cost much, but it is absolutely irreplaceable to me.”

Emily – Thank you for calling me. Good luck with your career and I’m sure your grandmother would be very honored and proud of you.

Jim

   

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Clemson University Class Ring Lost in the Ocean, Found and Returned Ocean Isle Beach NC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)
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On Saturday, June 1st, I was enroute to another ring search; when Angela called and left me a voice mail. In the voice mail she said that it was recommended on a FB page that she call me for lost rings. She said that her daughter, Riley had lost her Clemson Class ring that she had received in April on Ocean Isle Beach in North Carolina, in the ocean. Angela gave me Riley’s phone number. After we hung up, I called Riley and told her I had another search and I’d be there as soon as I could.

I called Riley back after a successful recovery and told her I was on my way. I arrived about 20 minutes later and met Riley on the beach. Riley explained that she and some of her friends were out about 2 am enjoying the late evening and the ocean. She continued saying that they had been sitting in the ocean leaning back on their arms, with her hands in the sand and letting the waves roll over them. At some point she felt her Clemson ring slip off her finger into the sand. She immediately called her dad, which was at about 1:40 am. A quick check of the tide tables on ‘Willy Weather’ showed high tide was at 3:18 am. So basically, this happened about 2 ½ hours before high tide. I arrived at Ocean Isle, roughly at 3:30 pm, which was right at the high tide time. Not only was I there at the wrong time but the sea breeze had kicked up the waves, to the point I couldn’t get in the water. I asked Riley to point out the approximate area they were in and she stated they came straight down the beach from the beach access blue mat. I figured I’d clear the top of the beach and down the slope on both sides of the center line. Every once in a while, I’d try to slip in the ocean, but that was a lost cause! After close to 3 hours, and no change in the sea conditions, I called Riley and told her I was calling it for the night.  I told her I’d be back the next day at low tide and resume the search.

Today, June 2nd, I showed up around 8 am, 2 hours before low tide and started an east/west grid search perpendicular to the tide line. I started about 40 yards north of the center line and worked south. I had my Nox 800 detector and knowing that a women’s yellow gold ring will show up between 13-15 VDI (visual display indicator) depending on the size and width of the ring. Unfortunately pull tabs show up with the same numbers and if there’s anything on the beach that’s plentiful, its pull tabs! After about 2 plus hours I had detected about 90 yards on the beach and getting out in the water to about thigh deep. With the circumstances of the ring being lost, I knew the ring was there – somewhere. Gold is a heavy metal, so when it comes off in the ocean, it pretty much settles where it falls. In this case the ring was already y buried in the sand, so it would just sit there working itself deeper with water and sand going over the top of it. Also, knowing when it was lost, I knew the ring would be at the bottom of the slope at low tide. I felt I was definitely out of the search area when I got a solid 15. Is this just another bent up pull tab. I dug a scope of sand and dumped it on the beach. Ran the coil over the pile and I had the target out of the hole. I spread the sand out with my foot and scoured the sand. BOOM!!!  There in the sand staring up at me was Riley’s Clemson Ring. I washed the sand off the ring and took a picture. I sent the picture to both Riley and Angela and then called Riley – no answer. I called Angela – no answer. A short time later Angela replied by text saying, “That’s it!!!!” A few minutes later Riley called. Evidently Angela tried calling Riley with no luck, so she called one of the friends with Riley and told her to wake Riley up and that Jim found her ring. Riley said they were on the way. When Riley got to the beach, she sprinted from the access to where I was. She gave me a big hug and I could tell she was very appreciative. I love returning lost items to their owners!!

Angela – Thank you for calling me to help find Riley’s Ring.

Riley – So happy I was able to find and return your special treasure. I wish you all the best in life.

Jim

     

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3 Rings Lost in the Dry Sand, Found and Returned Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)
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It was close to 9:30 am on Friday, May 31st when I received a call from Roz saying her son, Michael had lost 3 rings in the dry sand the day before. She had me on speaker and both her and her husband, Len was answering my questions. They said they were sitting in the dry sand when a wave came up and covered their area. They pulled their towels and bags back to dryer sand and in the process Michael’s rings fell out of the bag. I told them I could be there in about an hour and to send me the Resort’s address.

When I got there, I met Roz and Len on the beach, and they showed me an area about 10’X20’. I turned the Nox on and went to work. I was doing a north/south grid search and was running outside the area Len had pointed out. I finally got a great signal and dug out a 2023 Augusta University class ring, which I’m trying to find the owner of. So, at this point I started an east/west grid search north of the original area. On my second line I hit a solid silver target, 2 of Michael’s rings were silver. Dug out the target and both Roz and Len identified it as Michael’s. A couple of steps and I hit and recovered another silver ring belonging to Michael. Another swing and I found Michael’s 3rd Ring. Roz called Michael and told him the good news. Michael thanked me and we hung up. A few minutes later Roz received a text from Michael saying, “I was in a shared uber and the guy next to me was sleeping so I had to curb my excitement and not be too loud but definitely much thanks to the veteran who found the rings with 2 praying hand emojis.”

Roz and Len – Thank you for calling and trusting me to help find Michael’s rings. Have a safe trip back home.

Jim

   

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3 White Gold Rings Lost in the Sand, Found and Returned North Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)
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On Wednesday, May 22nd, I received the following text at 6:40 p.m. “Hey Jim, my name is Carly! I’m contacting you because I lost my wedding set on the beach yesterday around 5:15pm. We’re staying in the Cherry Grove area, right near the pier! We were on the left side yesterday. As you probably hear often, I took my rings off to put on sunscreen and left them in my chair’s cup holder. I didn’t realize until about 30 minutes later what had happened, and it was too late as we had already gone back to the condo. Unfortunately, I am back in VA today, but I have relatives who are still there until the end of the week. They are more than willing to show you around the area we were in!” Carly had originally posted the loss on a local Face Book (FB) Page. I know, because I had been getting notifications from FB that someone had mentioned me on a post. My wife also sent me a snapshot of the Post. Unfortunately, I was on another ring search and didn’t notice any of it until later. When I got Carly’s text message, I was at one of my granddaughter’s soccer games.

Instead of texting back and forth, I called Carly to get some more details. I also asked her if she could have her Aunt Yvette or Cousin Miranda call me so we could arrange to meet on the beach, and I could see the area. I was originally thinking we could meet around 10 pm, but then changed it to 8 pm so I could get a better idea while the sun was still up. Everything was arranged and we met a little after 8. Yvette knew for sure the loss was between 2 trash cans on the beach, but the trash cans were at the ends of 2 separate condos – big area. Miranda was sure the loss happened behind the smaller condo which was perfect. At 8, the tide was right at high tide, but I got the idea of the area. I thanked them for their help, and we left. My plan was to come back about 9:30 and do a grid search.

When I got back over there around 9:45 the tide had gone down quite a bit and enough for me to get started. I turned my Nox 800 on and started a north/south grid search parallel to the tide line, basically working the outgoing tide. With all 3 rings being white gold, I knew the VDI (visual display indicator) would ring up between 6-8, however if the rings are a small size and thin, the VDI could be in the 3-5 range. After about 30 minutes I got a banging 8 VDI, Bingo! I knew I had 1 of the rings. When I dug it out, sure enough it was the Wedding ring of the set. Swung my coil around the area and got another 8. Dug this one out and it was the Engagement ring of the set. Searched the area and wasn’t getting the 3rd ring.  What Carly had told me was when they got ready to leave, she folded up the beach chair and threw it over her shoulder, so this one could have been slung a little bit. I finished that grid line and started my next line and about halfway through the line I hit a solid 4 VDI. I dug it out and there was number 3. Looking at the ring, I understood why it was ringing up as a 4 – tiny and thin! I tried to get a decent picture but it’s hard when it’s pitch black out on the beach and I’m trying to get a picture with my phone. Fortunately, there was a young couple on the beach watching me, Katelyn and Danny. They felt sorry for me so they offered to help – thank goodness! I sent a picture to Carly of her rings and then called her. When she answered the phone, I said, “You see your text?” I think she was in shock. She wanted me to give the rings to her aunt, who she would see by the end of the week instead of mailing them, which I did. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get a picture of Carly holding her rings with a big smile. Luckily, I had a picture taken of me holding the rings shortly after I found them.

Yvette and Miranda – Thank you for all your help in this adventure.

Carly – Thank you for trusting me to find your lost treasures, glad I could help.

Jim

   

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Yellow Gold Diamond Engagement and Wedding Rings Lost in the Ocean, Found and Returned North Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)
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This adventure started about 10:41 p.m. Friday night when I got a text message asking if I was the right guy to find lost items. I confirmed I was and received the following text from Gene, “My wife lost her wedding ring and band today on the beach near Kingston Plantation. Are your services available? Are you in the area?” I called his number and discussed what happened, what time and if it was in the water. Gene told me Jessica; his wife lost her rings about noon in ankle deep water. Taking a quick look at the tide tables, the loss happened about 2 hours before low tide. Shouldn’t be too hard, but there’s not too many searches that are easy. This one was no different. I told him I’d meet him about 12:30 the next afternoon, which was today, Saturday May 25th. The next afternoon low tide was about 3:15, so getting there early I could work the outgoing tide.

I showed up as scheduled and met Gene, his father-in-law Greg and his sister-in-law Samantha. Gene walked me out in the water and lined himself up with the resort and said she lost it right about here. I asked Gene how she lost them, and he stated trying to catch a football. The football hit her rings just right to push both rings off her finger. He told me both rings were yellow gold. So, on my Nox 800, lady’s yellow gold rings show a VDI (visual display Indicator) of 13-15. Unfortunately pull tabs, which there are 100s that end up on the beach, show 14. This could mean a lot of digging. I started an east/west grid from about the mid tide line working perpendicular to the tide line. I had a heck of a time keeping my grid lines straight. I changed course and did a north/south grid to eliminate the upper slope of the beach. When I got about as far as I could and still see my grid lines, I took a break. By now the tide had rescinded to the point I was sure the rings were at the bottom of the sloop and right in the trough, which is where the ocean breaks onto the beach. At that point I decided to start over on the far-left border of the search zone. About halfway across the zone I got a solid, banging 14 VDI. I was sure I had a ring. I took a big scoop and checked the hole. I had the target. Problem was, after I washed out the sand, I had a scoop full of broken shells. I shook the scoop moving the shells; I took a couple of handfuls of shells out and shook the scoop again. Still wasn’t seeing anything. I did that 3 times and finally saw the small engagement ring with the diamond. Boom! Put the ring in my pocket for safe keeping and ran the coil over and around the hole. About a foot away I got another solid 14. Dug the target, made sure the hole was clear and walked up the sloop and dumped the scoop. Ran the coil over the pile, located the target, spread it out with my foot and saw the gold wedding band. I had both rings. I was going up to grab my phone and take a picture to send to Gene and surprise him, but as I’m trying to get that done, I saw Gene and Greg walking towards me. I showed them the rings, and both were excited. I told Gene he could surprise Jessica but that didn’t work either. We turned around and the rest of the gang was standing on the 5th floor balcony. It wasn’t long before Jessica, her mom and sister was on the beach. Think there were a few happy tears, and all was good!!!!

Greg and Gene – thank you for your generosity.

Gene and Jessica – Thank you so much for trusting me to help find your lost treasures. Enjoy the rest of your vacation and have a safe trip home. Wish you two all the best.

Jim

   

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Man’s Gold Wedding Band Lost, Found and Returned North Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)
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On Wednesday May 22nd at about 7:45 p.m. I received a text from Jim stating in part, “About 530 tonight I lost my wedding band on the beach while walking the dog.” Instead of texting, I called him to discuss the details. He told me that he had cut his ring finger, and the ring was irritating that finger. He continued saying after wearing the ring for I think he said 30 years; he had to basically pry the ring off. He moved the ring to his little finger, which fit, but may have been a little loose. He also said the walk was 3 blocks one way but added that he had walked along the top of the tide line and the dry sand. We agreed to meet this morning at 10 am.

We met at 10 and walked out on the beach. He showed me the path he took, and I started an east/west grid. After about 30 minutes, I decided I’d walk down the beach to where the walk started. My thought was the ring was more likely to have fallen off his finger at the start or end rather than in the middle, maybe. Close to 3 hours, I called Jim and told him I was going to take a break and would be back in a few hours. As we’re talking, he said that he and his wife had been talking through the situation. He mentioned to me that when the walk was over, he had washed the dog’s mouth out using his left hand at the resort’s wash station. I had one of those aha moments! I ask him if he knew whether I could get access below the deck of the station, and he wasn’t sure. I told him I was coming down to the resort to check out the wash station. I mentioned that with his ring being a little loose, trying to manipulate the dog, and his hand being wet, it might be possible the ring slipped off there. When I got to his resort he was waiting outside. We walked back to the wash station, and he showed me which shower he was used. There was no access below the shower, but the floor planks were butted up against each other with no gaps between the wood. I made my way to the side of the shower and tried to use the detector, but I had the big 15-inch coil on the machine, and I wasn’t able to use the detector. I didn’t have my pin pointer, so I started moving through the weeds doing a visual inspection. Bingo, I moved some ground cover and saw Jim’s ring lying on the ground. I didn’t say anything but just held it up between my fingers. Jim was in mid-sentence when he saw it and just stopped and froze, I could see the relief in him.

Jim – thank you for trusting me to help find your lost treasure.

Jim

   

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3 Gold Rings Lost in the Sand, Found and Returned North Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)
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Shortly after 7 pm, I got a call from Allison saying she had lost 3 rings (all gold) in the dry sand that was probably under water by now. She told me that one of the rings was her wedding band and the other 2 were 14k. She asked if I could help find the rings. I asked her about what time she lost them, and she replied around 4 pm. I asked her if we could meet at 9:30pm and if she’d send me the address. She agreed to the time and sent the address, The address wasn’t coming up so I asked for the address again. Her phone did an auto correct the first time but got it right the second time. As time passed, I was thinking of the time of loss and low tide and text her asking if we could meet at 8:30 instead. She agreed so we were set.

When we met on the beach, Allison introduced me to her best friend Hannah. The 3 of us walked down the beach to the suspected loss area. On the way, I asked Allison how the rings were lost. She explained she took them off to apply sunscreen and put them in the cup holder of the beach chair. As the tide started coming in they moved their chairs to higher ground. After a short time, they packed up to go to dinner. It was while they were driving to dinner that she realized she forgot to take her rings out of the cup holder. They went back to the condo and went through everything they had on the beach with no luck. Allison said she had called her mother and told her about the loss. She said her mother called her back giving her my information and she called me. We got to the area that both Allison and Hannah agreed was the area they had been sitting. They were basing it off a trash can near the dunes. I turned on my Nox 800 and went to work. I was looking for VDI (visual display indicator) of around 13. I did a north/south grid and came up empty. I went back to Allison and told her I didn’t think we were in the right area because I came up with nothing. She was on the phone and suddenly said “there’s a new development!!” She asked if the trash cans got moved and I told her no, they get emptied in the mornings, but rarely get moved. We walked back down the beach to where we came across the access point and spotted another trash can. Allison and Hannah picked a new spot based off that trash can and I started a new grid line running east/west, perpendicular to the tide line. On my second line I hit 3 separate targets, all registering 11-13. I dug the first target and Bingo; I had the 1st gold ring sticking out of the sand. I held it up and hollered at Allison. Both she and Hannah came flying down the beach. I handed the ring to Allison to identify. One down, two to go. The next target I dug up was the wedding band. As I reached down and picked it up and handed it to Allison, the tears came rushing out. She was overwhelmed, as was I. Back to work, I pulled out the 3rd ring. Mission accomplished, all 3 rings were back where they belong, and Allison couldn’t have been happier.

Allison – Thank your mother for me for sending you, my way. Also, for trusting me to help find your lost treasures. It was my pleasure.  All the best to you in your new profession as a Dentist, everybody loves Dentists!

Jim

 

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1920s Platinum Diamond and Ruby Ring Lost in the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), Found and Returned Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)
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Shortly before 3 pm on Saturday, May 18th, I received a call from Ashlee asking if I could help find her mother, Alison’s ring that had been given to her by her grandmother years ago. Ashlee said that the ring had been dropped from their elevated dock into the ICW. I knew the tide was coming in but wasn’t sure of when high tide would be. Ashlee said she had been under the dock doing a reach and feel search and the water was about waist deep. I told her I was just finishing up another search and I was on my way.

It took me about 20 minutes to arrive and I met Alison, her granddaughter, and Ashlee in the driveway. As we walked around back, Alison described her ring and showed me the location where the ring fell through. I asked if it could have gotten stuck in the planks and was told the granddaughter heard a “plunk.” I got a few more details and walked down some stairs into the water. This was a perfect search scenario, water was warm, soft sand bottom, no waves and not above my knees. Walked out to the location, swung the detector twice and got a solid 12 (perfect number on the Nox 800 for Platinum). Took a scoop of sand and as I pulled it out of the water, I saw Allison’s beautiful ring sticking out of the sand. As I’m walking up the stairs, I hollered at Allison saying, “where you at?” She said something like, “you find it?” I held it up for her to see. She was so grateful she had her ring back. What a thrill for me to be holding a beautiful ring with 100 years of history. I found out that Alison was going to pass the ring down to her granddaughter but not for many many years. Ashlee told me that her great grandmother had lived in England with her husband (Ken and Lillian Scott) and that’s where the ring came from.

Ashlee – thank you for trusting me to help find your mother’s ring.

Alison – so glad I got to meet you and return your lost treasure.

Jim

 

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Condo Key Lost on the Beach Access Path, Found and Returned North Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)
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Evan called me asking if I could help find a condo key that was lost along the beach access path from the condo to the beach. I got the address and was on my way. I arrived about 20 minutes later and met Evan, his wife Taryn and their son Jagger. The story goes that Jagger was walking along the path with the ‘only’ Condo key on top of a towel, a dog barked, Jagger twisted around, and the key went flying. I had my Nox 800 and knew the VDI (visual display indicator) would ring up around a 19-21. I searched down the path, then both sides with heavy undergrowth with no luck. After roughly 45 minutes I called it. I was exhausted from another ocean search and had no energy.

This morning, I text Evan saying I was coming back to give the key another shot. I also said that he didn’t have to be out there, that I’d let him know either way. When I got there, I concentrated my search on the right side of the path and further out in the undergrowth. After Taryn telling me what happened and running the scenario through my head all night, it only made sense the key would be on the right side. Things are never as they seem! After a bit of searching on the right, I moved to the left side. After about 5 minutes, I hit the 19 VDI I was looking for. Used my pin pointer and nailed the key buried along the edge of the path in the sand. I had noticed that Taryn was sitting on the balcony and pointed up at her. She yelled down, “Did you find it?” I held the key up and she disappeared into the house on her way down. A great day, Jagger was out of the doghouse, Evan or Taryn didn’t have to stay in the condo while the rest of the family went to the beach or out for the day.

Evan and Taryn – Thank you for trusting me to help find your key. Have a great rest of your vacation and a safe journey back home.

Jim

 

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Property Markers (4) Found In Cherry Grove, SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)
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On Wednesday, May 8th I received a voicemail from Anne Marie, in part asking if I could help find property markers. She also said they had purchased a cheap metal detector, and it was going off, but they couldn’t find the markers. She said she had attempted to call the surveyor that had done their original survey but couldn’t get a hold of them. Their intentions are to install a fence. I returned her call and told her I’d be glad to look for the markers and we agreed to meet today, Friday.

Today, as I was getting ready to go, I was checking my equipment, and my pin pointer wasn’t working properly. Not good! I had to stop by my Detector dealer and pick up a new pin pointer and then was on my way. When I got there, I met Anne Marie and her husband Dave, and we got to work. Anybody that’s ever looked for property markers knows there’s always at least 1 that is very elusive, in our case there were 2, both in the front yard. The first one in the front was between the water shut off, the septic overflow, telephone poll and a neighbor’s bush. There were also sheets of tin and some nails around the marker, all fun stuff! The second marker in the front was between the other neighbor’s water meter box, paver patio and a metal fence. Plus, the marker was buried deeper, probably from the added layers of dirt for the patio. Took Dave and I awhile but we found all 4 markers. Dave hammered in yellow markers that are now visible. Now Anne Marie and Dave can get their fence done.

Anne Marie and Dave – Thanks for trusting me to help find your markers. Good luck with your fence.

Jim

     

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