Lost pacemaker in Orlando, Florida….Found!

Todd gave me a call with a very unusual request! He needed to find his mother’s pacemaker because their dog had apparently grabbed it off of the counter and had possibly buried it somewhere in the backyard! WOW!! You can imagine the questions that came to my mind but Todd was quick to explain “the rest of the story”! Unfortunately his mother had passed away and her pacemaker was removed for the purpose of making sure it had been functioning properly. I had never been asked to search for a pacemaker before and was not exactly sure just how one would ring up on my metal detector. This particular one was made of titanium and that usually rings up on the low end of the non ferrous readings.
Later that day I met Todd at his home and we discussed the possibilities of where the dog could have dropped or buried the small pacemaker. (You can see in the photo the size and shape of this unusual item! It’s about the size of a half dollar and almost twice as thick!) As we began walking around the backyard looking at various holes where the dog had been digging and I was trying to get a feel for what I was up against, Todd exclaims, “Look at that! There it is!” And sure enough there it was, laying on the cement slab under the edge of the outdoor table, between 2 chairs.
Todd had previously looked the obvious areas over quite thoroughly and we came to the conclusion that one of the dogs must have dropped it there sometime that afternoon. What a relief it was for Todd and his sister to have their mother’s pacemaker back in safe keeping!
After a nice visit I said my goodbyes and headed home. And as I pulled away I realized how thankful I was to have been blessed and privileged to have helped another person in need. God bless you Todd and thanks for giving me a call. Got something that needs finding? Maybe I can help!
Mike McInroe, privileged to be a member of theringfinders.com


Dawn and her son, Tristen, were swimming at their favorite spot on Lake Harris and enjoying the cool water and digging clams. They would feel in the sand with their toes and when they found a clam they would dig it up and put it in their bucket. Now and then they would find old bottles and an assortment of junk. Some of the items were down right dangerous to be stepping on, especially in the water, and this made Dawn and Tristen tread very lightly. One of the clams was buried rather deeply in the sand and as Dawn tried to dig it up she actually felt her ring slip off of her finger. She frantically dug down into the sand trying to feel for it and after numerous failed attempts she gave up. This special ring was her son’s birthstone ring and Dawn had been wearing it for at least 8 years and now it was gone. Dawn’s heart was broken and she felt she would never see her ring again and that thought led her to do an internet search on “How to find a lost ring in the water”!
Rob gave me a call and asked if there was any way I could help him find his lost wedding ring. Apparently while herding some horses on a small ranch where he and his wife live and work, his ring slipped off of his finger and landed into the soft sandy Florida dirt. He was amazed at how fast it disappeared and even knowing about where it landed, his efforts to find his ring in the sandy soil were futile.
Brandon was enjoying a beautiful day at NSB with his family and as he thought about going out into the water he wondered where he could put his wallet for safe keeping. Not wanting to leave it somewhere exposed, he decided to bury it in the sand under the corner of his towel. And as the afternoon wore on Brandon sort of forgot about his wallet and picked up his towel a couple of times to dry off. It wasn’t until later that he remembered his wallet.
Last Friday I received an e-mail from Iain asking if I could help him look for his lost ring. Apparently Iain was playing goalie for his young son who was kicking his soccer ball in an area with very soft sand that the Disney Caribbean Resort provides near all of their pool locations. Iain found himself diving to the left and to the right, blocking the ball with his hands. And having put on sun screen beforehand, added to the soft sand and sweat…well, that usually adds up to “Lost Ring!”
The other day my good friend Chris texted me about a lost ring in a small lake in the Heathrow area. In casual conversation a neighbor mentioned to Chris that she had lost her precious silver ring while feeding bread to the fish. It happened just after Christmas and Tina could not get her mind off of loosing the very ring her brother had given her just a few years ago. After hearing her story Chris told her “I know just the guy to help you get your ring back!” So the following day—Valentines Day–I made arrangements to meet Tina and have her show me where she lost her ring. The original information I received was that the ring was lost only a few days ago so when I arrived and got set up–I concentrated my search efforts in the water from the shore out to about three feet deep. After a thorough search in the water and coming up empty handed I called Tina to come out and explain to me again what all happened the day she lost her ring. Come to find out she actually lost it a few days after Christmas, so that turned out to be 6 weeks ago and we have had very little rain and the water level had dropped a good two feet or so since then. I realized just where she would have been standing and the drop zone area would be up the bank further. And sure enough after a few sweeps of my coil over the dry ground–there was Tina’s lost ring just under a thin layer of dirt and mud! Tina could not believe I had found her lost ring and was thrilled to get it back on her finger!
Amy was visiting the grave site where her precious little one–Jean Francis Butterfly Butler– was laid to rest. It was a rather warm January day and the rings on Amy’s ring finger were feeling tight so she removed them and slid them into her pocket-along with the keys to her van. It was a quiet and peaceful time, sitting there by her little one’s grave site, as Amy reflected on the many things she had to be thankful for. Soon it was time to pick up her 7 year old daughter from school, so she folded up her lawn chair and headed to the van, pulling out the keys from her pocket as made her way across the short grassy area. As she slid into the drivers seat she remembered her rings and reached into her pocket and discovered–NO RINGS! Frantically she retraced her steps to where she was sitting and after a thorough search she was able to find her wedding band, but no diamond engagement ring. She walked back and for over the small area–but could not find her precious ring.
Can you imagine it’s your wedding day and everything is ready?! The chairs are all set up, the guests have arrived and the ceremony begins. It’s the perfect day to be outdoors, in the gazebo, on the lake. And partway through the ceremony the bride’s sister-in-law is holding the rings in a small box and just to make sure they are ready, she opens the box and somehow the brides ring drops to the deck and bounces off into the 9 foot deep water! Stunned and in shock, she cannot believe what just happened. After the ceremony the sister-in-law actually jumped into the cold water hoping to be able to retrieve the ring, but with all the weeds and soft muddy bottom, plus being 9 feet deep—it was hopeless!
David was playing a lively game of “keep away” on his driveway with his two children and never even realized his wedding ring had come off! During the action of throwing the ball and jumping around, his gold wedding ring came off of his finger and landed on the concrete. At that exact instant his son, Jonathan, actually inadvertently kicked it and what they heard was the “clink” of his ring hitting the driveway and then the clink, clink as it bounced off into the grass. No one realized what it actually was–thinking maybe Jonathan had kicked a nail or screw or some other metal object. They finished up their game and went inside for the evening.
Jason called Thursday morning to see if I could help him find his wife’s lost engagement ring in some bushes at their apartment complex in Orlando! I asked a few pertinent questions to help determine where the rings might be hiding and if there was a good chance they could be found. Jason briefly explained what happened and mentioned that Amber, his wife, had actually lost both her wedding and engagement rings. And after a frantic search they were able to find the wedding ring but not the lost engagement ring! He went on to say that they contemplated renting a metal detector but then found theringfinders.com web site and decided to give me a call.