Joe Au-Franz, Author at The Ring Finders | Page 6 of 37

This ring find began when I got a call from Anchorage, Alaska.  The gentlemen told me his girlfriend Hannah was at Honu Lagoon and lost an heirloom ring her grandmother had given to her.  He said the resort Security Team had given him my number.  Knowing the surf was going to be pounding tomorrow and Lagoon 2 takes the brunt of the swell I asked him if Hannah could call and meet me on the beach ASAP.  He said she was very distraught about losing the ring but he would have her call.  She did a moment later and I could tell by her voice she had been crying about the loss.  I told her I’d grab my gear and be right down after I got a few details from her.  Thankfully traffic was minimal and I got there in about 45 minutes.  I called from the parking lot when I arrived and Hannah and her parents were on the beach already.  Hannah wasn’t exactly sure when the ring came off but she figured it was when she was throwing a football.  She gridded that area for me and I started the hunt.  The area was rather large so it took about 45 minutes.  No luck there so Hannah showed me where they were throwing the ball in shallow water.  That took another 45 minutes and still no ring.  Hannah assured me I hunted in all the places and it was getting dark. I started talking about scuba another day and Hannah showed me a side angle shot of the ring.  She said it was a chunky gold ring!  She did mention snorkeling so I asked her to show me where she entered and exited the water.  I might as well try there since the surf was negligble.  On the second leg of what would of been a five leg search right on the shoreline I got a solid screaming target on the Manticore.  The numbers were good too.  It took at least three scoops and when the sand rinsed out of the scoop a chunky gold ring was shining in what was left of the daylight.  I called over to Hannah “I think I got your ring…please tell me it is.” I handed her the ring and a rush of joy came over her.  She was so thankful and extremely relieved.  I can only imagine how she felt getting her grandma’s ring back.  Hannah’s parents joined us on the shoreline and we had a few hugs and laughs.  That was a two hour hunt with the sun going down quickly.  The lord blessed us on this recovery the day after Christmas.  Much Aloha to Hannah, her boyfriend and parents.

This ring hunt began when I was called by Megan who lives on Oahu with her husband CJ.  She had purchased a detector from Walmart and went to Ulua Lagoon to try and find CJ’s Yellow Gold with Black & White Diamonds Wedding band in shallow water.  He lost it the day before playing with his young daughter in the water.  The metal detector she purchased at Walmart would start chirping in the wet sand and was impossible to use in the water.  Phil from Aloha Security Team saw her struggling and went down to the beach to let her know one she wasn’t allowed to detect the beach and second that they had a guy who would find it for her.  Relieved someone was available she called me and I just happened to be finishing a scuba hunt at Four Seasons but unfortunately I only had my scuba detector.  However, I was going to squat and do whatever I could as she thought it was only ankle to knee deep.  The hunt was unsuccessful.  I told her I would return the next morning to hunt.  When I arrived and the sun came up the area I needed to hunt was plastered with Box Jellies alive and dead.  I stopped counting at around 80!  I texted Megan we would have to wait two days.  Once I got home I started thinking about the unauthorized detectorist we found at Lagoon 4 and I decided I’ll put on my 3 mil wetsuit and booties and go dodge the jellies.  This morning I only saw a dozen or so but I was fully protected.  I started the hunt and on about the 6th leg I got a nice tone on the Nox 800 in knee deep water.  After one scoop there was CJ’s stunning ring in the scoop.  We met at the Hickam AFB Post Office for the return.  CJ was extremely thankful and I found out we served on the same ship USS George Washington CVN-73,  although many years apart.  Much Aloha to CJ & Megan!