Jim Wren, Author at The Ring Finders | Page 5 of 23

A Little Tiff Sends Her White Gold Engagement Ring Over the Fence, Found and Returned Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)
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I got a call from Jed on Dec 20th asking if I could help find a lost engagement ring in a field. I asked him for details on how the ring was lost, when it was lost, and if the field had bushes and trees on it. He explained that him and his girlfriend, Benjetta had gotten in a little spat about 3 ½ weeks ago and the ring was tossed. Jed said the field had heavy undergrowth and that he had been in the field cutting down a lot of the growth. He also stated that he had looked for the ring himself with a Garrett 250 Metal Detector with no luck. Since this was in Myrtle Beach, I needed to call Matt Fye, TRF for Myrtle Beach. When I called Matt, he said he was extremely busy and to go ahead and take the call. I was up for an adventure since I hadn’t had a ring call for a while. I called Jed back and we agreed on meeting at 10 am the next morning.

We met the next morning and had to drive around the block to get to the field. Jed had done a good job clearing the undergrowth out in about a 10 x 10-foot square directly behind the projected ring flight. I asked Jed what metal the ring was, white gold, silver or something else. He wasn’t sure but ended up saying silver. I turned on my Equinox 800 and started searching. Not sure what metal I was really looking for, I cleared all the targets that I found. There was a lot of trash, pull tabs, bottle caps, cans, etc. I also had to contend with a metal fence that was about 10 inches behind their wooden fence. I tried to squeeze both the Equinox and my Gold Bug with a 5-inch coil between the fences, but the metal fence played havoc on both machines. There was a chance the ring could have ended up between the fences and settled in all the leaves that had accumulated in that space. While I was searching the area, I got to meet Benjetta when she stuck her head above the fence.  She filled in a few more details about the ring toss. During the spat Benjetta couldn’t toss the ring herself, so she asked a girlfriend to do it. Her girlfriend accepted the challenge, stepped out the back door and hurled it over their wooden fence. That added a little more to the story. I assured both Benjetta and Jed this kind of loss happens more than you’d think. They weren’t the first nor would they be the last to get angry and throw a ring or two. After a little over 2 hours of searching with no luck, I called it a day. I had intentions of returning but didn’t commit myself with Jed, as he was going on vacation the next evening.

That evening, I was trying to think of something to help me clear the area between the fences. I came up with the idea of using my shop-vac and sucking up the leaves and hopefully the ring, if it was there. I text Jed and told him my plan and that I’d be back out there at about 1 pm the next day. He said he wasn’t going to be able to be there and I told him it’d be fine, and I’d keep him posted.

I showed up and stopped by Benjetta’s house to plug in an extension cord and throw the other end over the fence. Pulled into park in the field and went to work. The shop-vac was working as planned, took a little longer because the leaves were soaked after a heavy rain. Cleared out and checked the piles of leaves for the ring and nothing! The day before, I had ventured out in both directions, from the suspected area with no results. So, today I planned on getting in the thick of things, literally. It took about 15 minutes, and I was under some heavy low hanging branches and got an iffy signal. I ended up moving a 4-inch diameter 8-foot tree branch lying on the ground. Swung my detector over the area and got a solid white gold signal of 8 on the VDI (visual display indicator). I carefully cleared the wet leaves and there was the size 6 ½ engagement ring staring up at me.  I took a couple of pictures and sent it to Jed. He had told me earlier not to tell Benjetta if I found it so he could surprise her. He was really surprised the ring was found. I packed up and drove back to Benjetta’s house to get the extension cord. She saw me and came out to see if I had found it. I felt horrible standing there lying to her and telling her I’d be back to look again. Jed had text me his address and I dropped the ring off to him on my way home.  He had a big smile on his face when I handed him the ring.

Jed – Thanks for giving me a call and I’m thrilled I could help find your lost treasure.

Benjetta – I’m so happy you’re getting your ring back and I’m so sorry I lied to you, but I didn’t want to steal Jed’s moment (again)!

Jim

   

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In The News

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)
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Got a call from Taylor, a reporter from WBTW Channel 13 news, wanting to do a story on The Ring Finders of North Myrtle Beach. I agreed to the interview and contacted Matt Fry, TRF Myrtle Beach, and invited him to join in. We all met up on Oct 14th and had a great time. Enjoy.

Jim

https://www.wbtw.com/news/grand-strand/north-myrtle-beach/lose-something-valuable-in-the-sand-north-myrtle-beach-ring-finders-ready-to-help/

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Woman’s Platinum Wedding Band Lost on her 12th Wedding Anniversary, Found and Returned Sunset Beach, NC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)
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I got a phone call just before 4 pm today from Elizabeth, who was very upset about losing a wedding band on the beach. After getting a few details, including the fact the ring was lost in the dry sand, I told her I’d be there in 30-35 minutes. She seemed a little surprised in the fact that I’d be there so fast. We hung up and I grabbed my Deus II and Equinox 800 detectors.

As I’m pulling in the parking space next to the beach access she gave me, my phone rang, and it was Elizabeth. I thought she had found it and was calling to let me know. When I answered she said she was just checking to make sure I was still on my way. I told her I was just pulling in a parking spot and asked her if everything was ok. She said she was just worried.  I said, you told me you knew the area, and it’s in the soft sand. I then made a bold statement and told her I’d have it back on her finger within 2 minutes of getting in the area. That seemed to ease her concerns a little. As I’m walking over the boardwalk to the beach, I saw Elizabeth waving to me. I made my way to where she and another lady were sitting. That’s when I found out the other lady; Kelly was the one who lost her wedding band. Kelly was very upset as I asked what happened. Kelly said that today was her 12th wedding anniversary and she and Elizabeth were reminiscing about the events 12 years ago. When she took her wedding band off to relive the moment, it slipped from her fingers and disappeared in the soft sand. Elizabeth pointed out the area where they had been sitting and I went to work with my Deus II. After a couple of grid lines and not hitting the target, I had self-doubts about me and the Deus II. So I swapped detectors and used the Equinox 800 and took 2 steps outside my original grid line and hit a booming 8 VDI (visual display indicator). That number was exactly what I was expecting for a lady’s platinum wedding band. I glanced at Kelly with a big grin, which I’m not sure she saw. I took a scoop of sand, re-checked the hole and gently shook the sand out of the scoop. I glanced in the scoop and saw Kelly’s beautiful ring. I walked over to her and held the scoop out for her to retrieve her ring. Her tears started flowing and I could see the weight of the world get lifted off her shoulders. She couldn’t believe it and either could Elizabeth. Elizabeth reminded me I told her I’d have it back on her finger in less than 2 minutes, and that was less than 1 minute. This never gets old when you can return a special treasure back to someone who thought it was lost forever.

Elizabeth – Thank you for calling me.

Kelly – Thank you for trusting me to help find your lost treasure. I wish you all the best!!

Jim

   

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Hurricane Ian Causes Total Destruction of House, Garden City SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)
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I got a call on the morning of Oct 1st from Harriet saying her brother and sister-in-law, Joe and Martha’s, house had burned down and was wondering if I could look for some family jewelry. Included in the jewelry were pieces that belonged to Martha’s mother and Joe’s father’s class ring. Totally destroyed house fires are so difficult to search. Not only is there the personal shock of someone losing everything, but the shear difficulty of trying to find anything in all the rubble. I told Harriet to have Joe call me so I could get further details.  Joe texted me later that afternoon saying, “hey Jim, this is Joe. My sister called you this am about helping me find some jewelry in the remains of my destroyed house. I have a good idea of where to look if you would like to call me when you arrive. I will send you some pics of the area. Thanks so much for your help!” We exchanged some more texts about what I was looking for. I also informed him that due to the heat factor, most, if not all, the jewelry would probably be melted. He fully understood and further advised me that there’d be a pass at the gate for me since this was a gated community. I contacted Matt Fry, TRF Myrtle Beach and asked him if he wanted to help, knowing that this was going to be a chore.

Sunday, I met Matt at his shop, and we headed out. Matt had heard the road we needed to take was closed so we’d have to make a few detours. Once we got in the area, detours were an understatement, it was a mess. The hurricane had pushed water and sand two blocks back from the beach. The road crews were working hard to get all the sand off the roads.  I think it took them 4 days to get it done.

When we pulled up to where the house was, it was as I expected. It was a 1 story house that was on 12–15-foot stilts that had collapsed to the ground. The area we needed to search was the rear left side of the house, not a big area, but still overwhelming. The first task at hand was to clear as much metal as we could.  Nails, mending plates, nail plates, bed springs, etc. I couldn’t find my big magnet before we left, but Matt had a makeshift magnet that helped clear most nails, but nowhere near all of them. Matt had his Minelab 30-30 detector, and I had my Equinox 800. Both of us were swinging the detectors and anything that rang up as a jewelry signal, we were putting in a big bucket. Problem was that we weren’t finding anything that wasn’t melted together with something else. After about 3.5 hours we were hot, dirty and pretty much exhausted so we called it a day. I had planned to go back the next day and finish up. Meanwhile, I had talked to Joe who told me that Martha had kept her jewelry in a couple of bags, which consisted of rings, bracelets, necklaces, pendants and a watch. Joe also mentioned that his father’s class ring, which he was given, should be in a particular area.

Monday, I showed up and started clearing the area again.  I had found my big magnet and it was a Godsend. I ran the magnet through the area where Joe’s father’s ring was supposed to be and cleared more nails and plates. I did get a great signal in the area but other than what it rang up on the detector, there was no way I could definitively see or tell what the object was. Unfortunately, everything Matt and I found was melted beyond recognition.

Wednesday, I went back one more time to check the parameter (the soft sand) around the back side of the house. There was always a possibility the firemen might have blown something into the sand with the fire hoses. I did find a few more pieces, but think it was more junk, like aluminum, than anything else.

Saturday, I went through every piece, one by one, that we had found and started sorting it out by the various metals my detector was indicating it could be. I can’t say with absolute certainty everything we got was a piece of jewelry, nor can I say for sure that we got anything that was jewelry. I can say that we gave it our best effort and pray to God that we got some, if not all of their important treasures back. Luckily Joe has a best friend who is a jeweler that makes jewelry and maybe he’ll be able to melt this stuff back down and give a different look to their treasures.

Wednesday, Oct 12th, I was able to meet Joe in a parking lot to give him all the objects we had found. The picture of him shows him holding 5 separate bags. The bags were labeled with items containing possible yellow and white gold, silver, and a variety of other metals.

Matt – Thank you buddy, I know I can always count on you to lend a hand.

Joe and Martha – Thank you for trusting me to try and help find some of your lost treasures. I wish you only the best!

Jim

   

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Pet Labradoodle Has Expensive Taste, The Proof was in the X-ray!!! Longs SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)
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This adventure started Monday evening when I received a text from Suzanne saying, “I was just made aware of ring finders. I have a lost ring in my yard. It’s a big yard as we have a farm. My dog actually ate the ring then pooped it out, but we somehow missed finding it. We have grid searched as best we could with a borrowed metal detector but admit we didn’t know what we were doing. Interested? Suzanne.” I was intrigued so I called her to get more details. She informed me that their “big yard” was about 3 acres, and the incident took place about a year ago. I was a little perplexed and asked if the poop had been thrown out with the trash. She said they throw the waste in and around the bushes. I’m thinking, OK, the ring’s out there someplace and I love a good challenge, so I agreed to help. I told her I could be there at 10 am this morning, Sept 27th, and she agreed.

I think I was awake most of the night thinking of all the various scenarios I might run into. So, this morning, I packed up a small ladder and my Endoscope in case I had to check the tops and insides of bushes, and 3 metal detectors (Gold Bug II, Deus II, and my Equinox 800). Overkill I know, but I was prepared. When I got there and drove down the long driveway to the beautiful house with a manicured lawn, detached 2 car garage, a big barn with fenced in pastures, I was definitely intimidated! I met Suzanne in the driveway, and she showed me all the areas encompassed by an electric fence where the ring could be. She described the ring and said it was yellow gold with rubies and diamonds. She also explained the details of that faithful day. She said she was going out of town and was getting ready. She set her cell phone and beautiful Ruby and Diamond Ring, which her husband Terry had given her on their 16th Wedding Anniversary, on the Kitchen counter. When she came back to the kitchen the ring was gone and the cell phone had the unmistakable mark of a big wet tongue lick across the face of the phone. They took their loving pet to the vet for X-rays and guess what showed up just as clear as day. There was Suzanne’s beautiful ring nestled in the dog’s stomach. So, Terry was now assigned poop patrol while Suzanne was away. When she got back, Terry assured her that he checked every pile but there was still no sign of the ring.

Ok, I knew I was looking for a very sentimental ring that should alert in the low teen target numbers on the Equinox 800. I grabbed the 800 and started gridding the more likely areas first. I was almost 2 hours into the search, finding numerous targets in the 9-16 range but no ring. I took a quick break and Suzanne came out to see how things were going. She remembered that after she got home from her trip that she had picked up a few of the dog piles and had scattered it around 4 trees, which was not in the search area. I finished up my break and hit the newest area. After 10-15 minutes I got a booming 13 on the 800’s VDI (visual display indicator) about 2 inches deep. I carefully dug around the target and saw the bottom portion of a gold ring. I removed it from the hole, and I had Suzanne’s ring in my hand, I remember saying out loud, “Holy Sh__!” (No pun intended). I devised a plan on how I’d surprise Suzanne. I went around to the front of the house and knocked on the door. Evidently, she had been sitting on the back porch and came around the house. I told her, “I’m going to go grab some lunch, but I wanted to give you this before I go” as I held her ring up for her to see. She was overwhelmed to the point where she was shaking. She couldn’t believe she was seeing her ring again after 9 months and a wild end to end ride through her dog. Suzanne texted me, after I had left, that all this happened in the beginning of December 2021. She was so excited and said that she never thought she’d see her ring again. A very happy ending to a very wild story, which proves everything, always comes out good in the end!!

Suzanne – Thank you so much for trusting me to help find your very special treasure.

Jim

 

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Yellow Gold Bracelet with Charms Lost in the Ocean, Found and Returned Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)
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I received an early morning text message from Mary saying “I need help finding lost jewelry.” I tried calling her but didn’t receive an answer. So, I texted her saying “How can I help? Call me, it’s faster than texting. 843-655-5889. Jim” Mary called a short time later and said she had lost a gold bracelet with charms. She sent me a picture of the bracelet and where on the beach she lost it. Unfortunately, the resort her and her husband, Omar, were staying was in Myrtle Beach. She also stated they were getting ready to leave to go back home. I told her Myrtle Beach was TRF Matt Fry’s area and I’d give him a call and coordinate with him and that one of us would call her back. I called Matt on his cell, his work number and his wife’s phone and got no response. I called Mary back and told her I was on my way. Meanwhile I sent her a Google earth map with the resort and a line down the middle of the beach dividing north and south and asked her A or B side. She responded A, so I was on my way.

When I got there, I surprisingly found a parking spot and hit the beach. I started a perpendicular grid search on the north side of area A and worked south. Almost 2 hours into the search and shin deep in the ocean, I got a solid 6 on the Equinox 800. I wasn’t real sure what numbers I was looking for on the 800. I knew the thin gold bracelet wouldn’t show up, so I was hoping the small charms would ring up. I was as careful as possible trying to dig the target out of the sand. My second scoop I saw the bracelet hanging out of the packed sand in the scoop. I took a picture and sent it to Mary saying “BA BOOM,” then I called her. She was just pulling my text up and seemed very happy, and that’s when she shared that her mother had given her the bracelet. They were heading out of town but weren’t far enough that we couldn’t meet half way. When we met, Mary was extremely happy when I handed her bracelet back to her. Mary didn’t want her picture taken so I had Omar take a picture of me holding the bracelet.

Mary – thank you for trusting me to find your sentimental treasure.

Jim

 

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Proposed on Tuesday, Yellow Gold Engagement Ring Slipped off in the Outgoing Tide on Thursday, Found and Returned Friday Oak Island, NC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)
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I woke up to 2 separate lost ring text messages on Friday, Sept 23rd. The first text was sent at 7:56 am from Ryan saying “Good Morning! My girlfriend lost her engagement ring in the sand last night at Oak Island. I have the location marked.  Do you think it is worth looking for it after a tide change when the water came up over the area?” The second text was sent at 8:15 am from Casey saying “Hi Jim! My name is Casey. I got your number from the ring finders’ website. I was on the sound side of the point at Oak Island last night and my ring slipped into the sand, water’s edge as high tide came in. We searched but no luck and I’m hoping a metal detector would help. I have the gps coordinates of where it was dropped.” I figured they were both texting about the same ring, so I called Ryan. First question I asked was is his girlfriend’s name Casey, his response was yes. I asked him a few more questions about location and time. Between him pinning the spot on his phone and Casey digging a hole in the sand in the lost area, they had the spot pretty well isolated. I told Ryan I’d be there at 11:30 am, which was just before low tide. Ryan sent me the address, so I was ready to go.

When I arrived, both Ryan and Casey were waiting in the driveway. As we’re discussing the loss, neither one of them knew that the other one had contacted me. Ryan texted me from the front porch while enjoying his morning coffee and Casey was in the house texting me. I asked Casey what happened when she lost it. She said that she was reeling in a fish and the ring slipped off her finger. Since Ryan had just given her the ring, she hasn’t had a chance to get it sized yet. We all hopped on the golf cart and drove over to the area. As we’re walking out on the beach, Ryan spotted the mound of sand Casey had piled up the night before while looking for her ring. When we got to the mound, I asked what metal the ring was. Ryan stated yellow gold. This gave me an idea of what number to look for on the Equinox 800. A lady’s yellow gold engagement ring would be somewhere in the 9-13 range, depending on the size and thickness. I turned the machine on and checked the mound of sand with no signal. I then swung the coil over the half-buried hole and hit a solid 13 VDI (visual display indicator). It’s in the range I was expecting, but pull tabs also come in at 13. I dug up the sand, had the target in my scoop and gently spread the sand out on the beach. I took my foot and spread out the sand. Not seeing the target, I ran the coil over the area to pinpoint the location of the target. After I hit the target, I reached in the sand and felt the ring. Casey didn’t react until I cleaned the sand off the ring and held it up for her to see. She was overwhelmed with relief and happiness and a few tears flowed down her cheeks. I asked Ryan to slip it back on her finger where it belonged. I’ll never get tired of seeing the excitement, relief, and pure happiness when someone gets their cherished item back.

Ryan and Casey – thank you so much for trusting me to help find your lost treasure. I wish you both all the best in your future together!! Have a safe trip home.

Jim

   

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10 Day Old Wedding Band Lost in the Dry Sand, Found and Returned Sunset Beach NC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)
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A little after 2 p.m. on Sept 21st, I received a call from Cassandra saying her son, Conor, had lost his wedding band and wanted to know if I could help. First question I asked was how long ago, her response was “just now.” My second question was where he lost it, she responded in the “dry sand and he knows right where he lost it.” I asked about parking and she told me I could park in their driveway and she’d text me the address. She also told me that they were under a cabana at the end of the beach access ramp. These are the responses every Ring Finder loves to hear. I told Cassandra I could be there in 30 minutes, grabbed my gear and was on my way.

When I got there everyone was under the cabana. I met Cassandra, Conor and Christina, the new bride. Conor showed me the 3’X3’ area where he had applied suntan lotion to his chest and the ring flew off. I turned my Equinox 800 on, made the offhand comment of “let’s try and find this in under a minute,” took 2 steps and hit a solid26 on the machine. I asked Conor what his ring was made of and he said “white and yellow gold and stainless steel.” I took a scoop of sand and missed the target; my second scoop had the target. I shook the sand out and saw his ring. I extended the scoop out to him so he could retrieve his treasure. Christina said “that was less than 30 seconds.” Conor’s response was “I thought under a minute was a bold prediction.”  Everything was perfect and made this an easy recovery, he just lost it in the dry sand and he knew the precise area. A little more chit chat and Christina mentioned they’d only been married for 10 days.

Cassandra – Thank you for contacting and trusting me to help find Conor’s wedding band.

Conor and Christina – I wish you all the best in your new lives together!

Jim

   

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Man’s Tungsten Wedding Band Lost for 9 days in the Ocean – Found and Returned North Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)
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I got a text message from Sara on Sept 14th, saying “Hello! My husband lost his wedding band Monday of last week in Cherry Grove beach around 50th Ave N. I made a post about it and a couple people told me to reach out to you.” Along with the text, Sara sent a couple of pictures of the ring. I responded asking if they were still in the area or could send a Google map showing the area. I also asked about the time, whether he was in the water, and if so, how deep. Sara sent a Google map with the spot pinned and said, “He was hit by a wave, and it just came off.” I told her I’d go later in the day, a couple of hours before low tide and see what I could do. In the meantime, I contacted a friend, Mike, who hunts that area quite a bit to ask if he had come across it. I was concerned that the ring had been out there for 9 days, and I know that area gets hunted quite a bit. Mike responded that he hadn’t seen the ring and had been at 50 North that morning. He also said he had met up with half a dozen guys detecting in that area over the last week. This was not what I wanted to hear!!!

About 3 p.m. I grabbed my gear and headed to the beach to look for Sara’s husband, Jacob’s, ring. I was optimistic and kept a positive attitude even with the information Mike had passed along. When you think about it, I’m trying to find a quarter size target on a vast area of beach. Most of the people I see metal detecting start at one point and do a snake like pattern down the beach. When I’m looking for someone’s treasure, I do a grid search to ensure I don’t miss an area. In this case, it paid off. After an hour plus of grid searching, I hit a solid 18-20 VDI (visual display indicator) on the Equinox 800. These numbers were exactly the numbers I was looking for for a man’s Tungsten Wedding Band.  After a couple of scoops of sand and spreading the sand out with my foot, I saw the ring sitting in the sand. I texted Sara and sent her a picture, but she didn’t respond until late evening. When she did respond she stated, “That does look like it might be it.” Now I’m second guessing myself, by the end of the night (2 a.m.), I concluded that we had the right ring. She and Jacob live locally so we set up a meeting spot to transfer her treasure. When we met, she did indeed confirm the ring was Jacobs. She told me she and Jacob were High School sweethearts and they picked out their matching wedding bands, which had a very sentimental importance to both of them. After a 9-day absence, the ring is back where it belongs!

Sara – Thank you for calling and trusting me to find your lost treasure. All the best to you and Jacob!!!

Jim

     

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White Gold Wedding Band Lost in the Dry Sand, Found and Returned Sunset Beach NC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)
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Friday, Sept 2nd, I got a call from Monicka asking if I was the ring finder. After replying yes, she asked if I could help find her wedding band that she lost earlier in the day. I asked her how and where she lost it. She said she put her ring in the cup holder of the lounge chair and when they left the beach the ring wasn’t there. I asked her if it was lost in the dry sand and if there was any chance it could be covered up by the incoming tide. She assured me they were far enough up in the dry sand that the tide wasn’t a concern. I told her I’d be there by 7:45 pm.

My wife and I finished our dinner, I drove her home and grabbed my Equinox 800 and headed out. I arrived about 10 minutes early and met Monicka and her brother in the driveway of the rental where they were staying. As we walked out on the beach, Monicka pointed out the area where the family had been sitting. I confirmed I was looking for a white gold band and started an east/west grid search. I knew the VDI (visual display indicator) would show somewhere from 5-9, depending on the size of the ring. I was just about to finish my second grid line when I got a solid 7 on the VDI. I gave Monicka a look that said “I got it!” I took a small scoop of sand and gently shook out the sand and saw the ring in the bottom of the scoop. I held the scoop out so Monicka could retrieve her ring. Got a Big smile and hug from Monicka.

Monicka – Thank you for trusting me and The Ring Finders to help find your precious treasure.

Jim

   

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