Paul Humphreys, Author at The Ring Finders | Page 9 of 16

A weekend camping trip May 21-23 on the spectacular Lake Michigan shores of Kohler-Andrae State Park, near Sheboygan, WI, was just what the Dr. ordered for Sussex resident, Trevor Olsen and his bride of 6 years. It was a last get-away before moving to the state of Washington the following week.

The perfect time together suddenly turned to despair when the couple was packing up to leave. That is when Trevor realized his wedding ring, a family heirloom, was missing from his hand! He recalled taking it off and tucking it into a flap inside the tent the night before. Perhaps it flew out when they shook the tent as they prepared to leave. A frantic search in the grass and surrounding woods ensued but to no avail. The ring had vanished.

I received a phone call from Trevor early the next morning. I was not feeling well and so reached out to other Ring Finders in the area but nobody was available on short notice. Time was of the essence with the pending move and all. Trevor was desperate. And so I made the decision to drive up with my wife so she could help with the driving as needed.

Arriving an hour later, I located the camp site and pulled in behind Trevor’s car. Trevor was waiting anxiously. I followed him up the hill to the location where the tent had been pitched. I could still see the tent’s imprint in the grass. Returning back down the hill to my vehicle I proceeded to set out my equipment and snapped a tool belt/pouch around my waist. But as I reached down to pick up my trusty XP Deus detector, a glimmer caught my eye on the driveway less than an inch from where my search coil rested on the pavement. I instinctively picked it up, examined it and handed it to Trevor asking, “Is this your ring?”

The look of shock and disbelief on Trevor’s face confirmed the amazing discovery was indeed his wedding ring!

Now, how it ended up on the driveway so far from the camp site will forever remain a mystery. It could have just as easily ended up under my vehicle out of sight. Strange how these things happen sometimes.

I am thrilled, Trevor, to have recovered your precious ring and in such a memorable way. I wish you and your bride a successful move to Washington and many, many more happy years together.

Annual yard work and garage cleaning are two chores John Ritter of Menomonee Falls is always glad to check off his honey-do list. But the weekend labors of May 15-16 proved less than satisfying when John realized his wedding ring was missing. He searched frantically, even scouring the ground on his knees in all the locations where he had raked and pulled weeks. Did the ring get thrown out by mistake? This thought left him with a nauseating feeling.

I received a phone call from John and reviewed his timeline of events. After 40 plus years of experience, I’ve learned forensic-type questions can greatly narrow the possibilities. Given the variety of activities and the amount of time that had lapsed, it seemed finding John’s ring was a long shot. But we agreed to meet and at least rule out the yard areas where he had worked. As John led me through his activities on location, he mentioned having cleaned out a bird bath in the garden, that he had used a garden hose and shook the water off his hand. I made a mental note to check that area thoroughly. My hunch paid off.

The ring announced its presence to my XP Deus Detector as I investigated the bushes near the birdbath. It lay buried out of sight beneath its greenery. The long shot paid off. And the smile on John’s face tells the rest of the story.

A popular sandbar in the middle of picturesque Silver Lake provided wonderful relief from a summer heat wave for West Bend resident, Brieann Albiero and her fiancé, Nick. The couple joined a host of other boaters on Saturday, July 15th, anchoring their vessel in chest-deep water. It was a perfect way to spend the afternoon together, that is, until Brieann felt her platinum & diamond engagement ring suddenly slip off her hand into the water’s murky depths. Disbelief was followed by distress and tears as the reality of her loss hit home.

Try as they might, the ring evaded the couple’s search efforts. A few days later they arranged for a SCUBA diver to scour the lake bottom in the evening with a flashlight. But even this valiant pursuit proved unsuccessful.

I received an email inquiry from Brieann on July 20th. She located me on The Ring Finder’s website and reached out in hopes I might be able to assist. We arranged to meet on location a couple evenings later. After loading our gear into the boat, hopes were high as we made our way towards the search area. But when we arrived, the water all looked the same to Brieann and Nick. It was difficult knowing just where they had been anchored on the day of the loss and nobody had GPS coordinates or land features for reference. Inwardly I prepared myself for a long night and for the very real possibility of multiple days of searching. It’s like that sometimes.

Our first night proved unsuccessful. I consoled Brieann, “Don’t lose hope. Your ring is there, we just need to get over top of it.” But I could sense her disappointment.

Almost a week later, we tried again. This time, we worked off some memories of where other boats had been anchored in relation to their own. Nick assisted me by placing my marker buoys in an area of the sand bar consistent with their best recollection. It was a long shot, a very long shot!

Evidence of parties gone by, bottle caps and pull tabs chirped their presence in the headset of my trusty SCUBA-rated Excalibur detector. But barely an hour into the search, a pure, repeatable tone consistent with platinum invited further investigation. When I pulled up my search scoop, Brieann’s precious engagement ring lay nestled on top of the sand and shells! And Brieann’s smile screams the rest of the story!

If you or someone you know has lost a ring, encourage them to contact The Ring Finders. We find what may be thought lost forever. It would be an honor to add that person’s smile to our list of happy clients.

All the best, Brieann and Nick. May the story of your ring continue for many, many happy years together.

It was so much more than his father’s wedding ring. Greg Bell, resident of Wales, Wisconsin, had just received it from his mother a few days after his father died. She wanted him to have it. In addition, the ring had a single diamond that once graced his grandmother’s wedding ring. Now, barely a week after his father’s death, the precious heirloom was gone. Greg’s grief was compounded by the loss.

I received a phone call from Greg asking for assistance. With over four decades of metal-detecting experience, I’ve learned the value of forensics, of establishing an accurate timeline—a precise chronology of activities beginning with when the ring is known for certain to be on a client’s hand and ending the moment its disappearance became evident. My job is to focus on areas of highest probability, to work from the known to the unknown. So, with the help of his wife, Greg set about to review his timeline.

After spending time refining the timeline and following my suggestions for further searching, Greg contacted me again. Narrowing down the possible areas of loss, he established that there was a high probability he lost the ring while cutting his one-acre lawn. But an acre of grass can be formidable when searching for a postage-stamp-sized ring. It would be like searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack. Where to start? An engineer by trade, Greg had done his homework. The law of probabilities pointed to three areas where a small hand mower was used to trim more difficult sections near the house. These locations would be our starting point.

I quickly eliminated two of the sections using an XP Deus, wireless detector. Then, just as I was finishing up the third, a solid chirp in my headset invited closer examination. The numeric signal mirrored conductivity values consistent with gold. At first glance nothing was visible in the thick grass but when I parted the green blades a flash of gold betrayed the ring’s hiding place! And Greg’s smile tells the rest of the story!

While relaxing on their friend’s boat dock Father’s Day weekend, Iowa resident Matt (last name) felt his titanium wedding ring slip off his finger. He watched helplessly as it landed on the wooden planks, bounced and then rolled through a large crack out of sight into the murky water beneath.

Matt and his friend, Jad, searched for a number of hours that evening, diving and sifting through the mud, weeds, stones and zebra shells, all to no avail. It had to be there under the dock, but try as they might, they couldn’t find it. Did a fish swallow it? Stranger things have happened.

I received a text from Matt the next morning. He and his wife were leaving to drive home to Iowa. Would I be willing to search for his ring?

After contacting Jad, I arranged a search early that afternoon. Once on location in the neck-deep water under the boat dock, I encountered a cacophony of signals. The lake bottom under and around the dock was full of metallic debris. Metal cans, fishing lures, bolts, nails, coins, bottle caps, pull tabs… But no ring! To make matters worse, the remains of old dock moorings, re-bar and metal pipes kept overwhelming the non-ferrous targets, making it almost impossible to discriminate the iron. Chad’s ring, being made of titanium, added another challenge; the unique metal can act in strange ways when other metal is present.

It was a small search area and so the only option was to systematically remove every metallic object under the dock. Eventually, using this strategy, Chad’s wedding ring found its way into my scoop and into the light of day! Mission accomplished once again. In Chad’s absence his friend, Jad, posed with the ring for posterity.

So glad to have found your ring, Matt! May its story continue for many years to come.

On June 15 I received a phone call from Illinois resident, Hugh Rider. He was adjusting a boat cover on his dock at his cottage on Delavan Lake, Wisconsin, when a bee stung his hand. Instinctively, he shook his arm away from the offending pest, only to see his gold wedding ring fly and bounce off the dock into the lake. It was like adding insult to injury—a bad dream in slow motion.

After a 45-minute drive, I arrived at the picturesque lake. The area has been a vacation destination since 1878. Today, cottages dot its shoreline. Hugh arrived shortly after I did and together, we made our way to the boat dock. Once in the neck-deep water I first encountered aquatic plants. Such plants can be problematic for a detectorist as the foliage wraps itself around the coil and stem. But it was the historical evidence of cottagers going back over 100 years that presented the bigger challenge. There were the remains of concrete moorings with reinforcing iron, pipes, chain, bolts, screws and cans. But somewhere amongst all the ferrous metal was a precious gold wedding band. It would require all of my 40-plus years of metal-detecting experience to decipher that signal amidst the ferrous “roar.”

After what seemed like a lot of trial and error, Hugh’s ring finally gave up its hiding place and appeared in my scoop! Mission accomplished!

Hugh was delighted, of course, to have his wedding band back on his hand. And his smile tells the rest of the story.

Engaged two years to the day and married last December 2019, Bangladeshi university student, Hasan Aziz, lost his gold wedding ring in the water at Big Foot Beach State Park on Lake Geneva. It happened June 21, 2020 while receiving a swimming lesson in chest-deep water.

The next morning, I received a text message from Hasan asking for help. We arranged to meet on location that evening. On arrival, I was met by an entourage of college friends, all eager to be part of the search experience. Donning my Excalibur SCUBA detector and a couple marker buoy’s I began a systematic grid search. Happily, it didn’t take long to locate Hasan’s precious ring. When we did, a chorus of cheers erupted from his friends on shore. Then after a fun photo session, it was mission accomplished once again. Hasan’s smile tells the rest of the story.

Kenosha, WI boasts several gorgeous parks along the shores of Lake Michigan. On Sunday, June 28, 2020, Darren and his wife, Jennifer drove up from West Chicago for a relaxing get-away at Pennoyer Park. But a picture-perfect day turned to despair when on their drive home, Jennifer realized her diamond-wedding ring was missing. I received a desperate email the next morning requesting my assistance. Her son found me on The Ring Finder’s online directory.

It was an hour’s drive for each way for both of us and so we arranged to meet on location that afternoon. Upon arrival, I disappointed to discover my otherwise trusty metal detector was not functioning. I always pack an extra machine for just such a possibility, but somehow failed to load it before I left. Despite my best efforts to remedy the problem on site, it became necessary to drive an hour back home to Waukesha to fetch another detector.

Meanwhile, an intense electrical storm developed. Torrents of rain made driving a challenge. The beautiful beach where, just hours before, people sunbathed and picnicked had become a desolate, dark and foreboding place, rumbling with thunder and flashes of lightning. A flock of seagulls took cover on the shore while we waited in our vehicles. Finally, with no break in sight, the Darren and Jennifer decided to return home. We agreed to stay in touch, but as they drove away in the rain, I could sense the disappointment and hopelessness in Jenifer’s voice.

While the rain continued, the lightning eventually subsided enough that it was safe to venture out. My equipment is rated for SCUBA diving so the wind and driving rain were not a problem. After an about an hour, I had barely covered the first search area and was about to move to the next location when I picked up a strong but deep signal in the coarse sand. My first thought was that the target was much too deep for so recent a loss. But just to make sure, I excavated the target and dumped the contents out across the sand. As I did, my eye caught the unmistakable glint of diamonds and platinum! It was on a slope and someone had inadvertently pushed the loose sand over the ring, burying it deeply with their foot.

I texted a photo of the ring to Jennifer with the caption, “A little damp, but none the worse for its lost-and-found experience!” Darren and Jennifer hopped in the car right away and made the hour’s drive back to Kenosha. What a delight it was to hand the beautiful ring back to its grateful owner. Appropriately, I thought, Jennifer wore a tee-shirt with the word, BLESSED, on it. You know, I think prayers were answered that night!

This ring search seemed to conspire against us at every turn – equipment problems, rain, lightening, darkness, wind and challenging driving conditions, all threatened failure. But in the end, perseverance and prayers triumphed. I too feel blessed. As for Jenifer, her smile tells the rest of the story.

“That took you exactly 19 minutes!“

I received a text message from Hales Corners resident, Jason Squires, earlier in the week. It was like an S.O.S., only instead of a sinking ship, it was his wife’s (Michelle) beautiful wedding ring that had slipped out of sight below the snow’s surface behind their home. When the couple realized the ring was missing, they knew for certain there was only one place it could have been lost. But that was several days before when the snow was soft and fresh. As if to seal the ring’s fate, nighttime temperatures had been dipping below zero Fahrenheit, creating a thick pavement-like crust. To make matters worse, a well-meaning friend suggested a local squirrel may have taken a shine to the ring, hiding the prize among its other buried treasures. This latter thought was not comforting.

Jason even rented a metal detector and tried valiantly to decipher the cacophony of signals it presented, but his best efforts failed to bring the ring to light. That’s when his boss at work suggested he search the internet for help. Almost immediately he discovered The Ring Finder’s Directory of Metal Detecting Specialists and my profile listed in the State of Wisconsin. That prompted Jason’s S.O.S. message.

I arranged to meet Jason on location after work the next evening. It was getting dark when I arrived. It was also bitterly cold, the kind that can quickly immobilize exposed skin. Jason led the way. Upon arrival, patches of frozen grass and dirt bore tangible evidence of his previous search attempts.

Given the plummeting temperature I got to work immediately, sweeping the area with my XP Deus high-frequency coil. The ground came alive with a jungle of audio signals across the entire conductivity spectrum; metallic debris was everywhere! But finally, underneath some low tree branches, a signal in the range I was waiting for beckoned investigation. I broke up the icy crust with my boot and then kneeling down I carefully shaved away the frozen layers with a knife.

We spotted the ring at the same time laying right where it had fallen days before. Jason was ecstatic! “That took you exactly 19 minutes!” he exclaimed.

Funny thing, the smile on Jason’s face made the cold vanish.

TESTIMONIAL:
“Thank you so much!!! You came and completed in minutes what I couldn’t do in hours! My wife Michelle and I can’t tell you how grateful we are. You are a true professional and don’t even charge for your service. You gave us back something that meant the world to us. The smile on Michelle’s face said it all. God bless you! We will recommend you to anyone who is in our situation.” Jason Squires – Hales Corners, Wisconsin.

January 17th brought fresh snow! It also brought sadness!

Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin resident, Megan, was clearing the white blanket off her car’s windshield when she felt her engagement ring leave her hand and vanish into the snow. A desperate search ensued by Megan’s fiancé and other family members. Scooping the snow into buckets and using a wheelbarrow, they melted the icy contents with hot water in hopes of revealing the ring, but their valiant efforts failed to bring the precious love token to light. It was as though the snow had swallowed it. Was it gone for good?

In the days to follow, a sick feeling in the pit of Megan’s stomach served as catalyst for scouring the Internet for help. That’s when she discovered The Ring Finder’s Directory of metal-detecting specialists and my contact information.

I received a text from Megan the following Tuesday, January 21st. After a brief telephone call, arrangements were made to perform a search the next evening.

On arrival, I saw evidence where the snow had been removed from the front yard. Since darkness arrives early during the winter months in our part of the world, I employed a professional tactical light attached to my wireless XP Deus Detector. The ground, as expected, was full of metallic debris making it necessary to carefully assess each signal. It was a slow process.

I was almost finished scouring the front yard when a signal reached my ears—one consistent with a gold ring. Brushing the loose snow away revealed solid ice beneath. Whatever was the source of the signal, was encased in the ice. I carefully chipped around the area and pried the frozen disc from the ground so as not to damage the ring if it was there. As it turned out, it was indeed Megan’s precious ring!

It is always cause for celebration when a ring is found and this recovery was no different. Tears, hugs and smiles ensued. It was a happy household once again.