Football Wedding Ring – Lost and Found! Browns Lake, Wisconsin

Here in Southeastern Wisconsin USA, June 14th was the hottest day up to that point in 2022. The outside temperature gauge in my VW Tiguan showed 95-degrees Fahrenheit. That’s 35.5 degrees Celsius for the benefit of my family members and friends in Canada and Australia. Either way, it was a warm day for Wisconsin. And a good reason to be cooling off at the lake.

Franklin, Wisconsin resident, Niko Savic was doing just that with friends and their boats on a sandbar close to the shore of Browns Lake, near the picturesque town of Burlington. While standing in waist-deep water, a toss of a football was all it took to catapult his Tungsten Carbide wedding ring off his hand into the water’s murky depths. Friends quickly joined in the search using goggles and snorkeling gear but it was as though the Lake had swallowed Niko’s ring whole, never again to see the light of day.

The next morning, a kind and considerate lakefront property owner gave Niko permission to access the area from her home. Niko spent several hours searching carefully, but the ring was nowhere to be seen. That’s when his wife sent him a link to The Ring Finders Directory of metal detecting specialists and my contact information. He texted me and soon we were speaking on the phone and arranged to meet on location that same evening, unless the threat of a pending thunder storm would put the search at risk.

As it turned out, the weather cooperated and we arrived to clear skies. The usual boaters and lake lovers were gathering in the same location where Niko had been the night before. They were understanding of our mission and cooperated beautifully by giving us the space we needed to conduct the search. Indeed, they became our cheerleaders!

Typical of Wisconsin vacation lakes, the bottom was a minefield of metallic targets of every description. I ignored most of the signals, listening intently for the unique sound of tungsten carbide, a high-pitched but solid tone attuned to my ears over 40-plus years of underwater detecting. About 40 minutes into the search, I heard it. And Niko’s ring appeared shortly in my scoop!

Making my way towards Niko, he called out to me saying, “I think you are in the right area!” Little did he know I had his ring in my hand. I responded, “I think you are right, Niko. It is the right area!” Then I gave the ring to him.

That’s always the fun part. The jaw-dropping look of disbelief, the hugs, the high-fives, the raised beer cans and cheers and shouts of “congratulations” from the crowd that had gathered. It would all have made a heart-warming end to a televised docudrama. Wish you were there. But the smile on Niko’s face really tells the story!

My thanks goes to Niko’s wife who searched for and found me on the The Ring Finder’s Directory. And thanks to all the friends who moved their boats and gave us space in the water to search. And a special thanks to one very kind and considerate home owner who gave permission to access the area through her backyard. Success, sometimes, takes a team working together.

TESTIMONIAL: After searching for my ring for several hours the morning after losing it, I had little hope of finding it. After giving Paul a call, he assured me that it was possible. Paul took the job very seriously and met up with me that evening. Sitting down and talking to him afterwards assured me that not only was this service rewarding for him, but his life’s work is all about others. Amazing man, and amazing service! Niko Savic (Client)