Pete McGhee, Author at The Ring Finders

Swift Recovery of Cable Bay Wedding Ring

  • from Paihia (New Zealand)
Contact:

Sam texted me yesterday to say he had just lost his wedding ring at Cable Bay.
Forty five minutes later I was kitting up to start the search.

Cable Bay is a much more dynamic beach than Coopers Beach in the previous recovery, so Sam contacting me as soon as possible gave him the very best chance of getting his ring returned.

I started down the beach to the low tide waterline, turned and started the first return sweep.
Two or three paces and a smooth golden tone was clear in the headphones.
First scoop wasn’t enough, but the second bite left the hole silent.
I sifted through the shells at the side of the hole and Sams wedding ring stood out in the afternoon sunlight.
I held it up to the unbelieving couple with a big smile, “This yours?”

Most recoveries are pure hard graft, physically and mentally.
It’s nice to have one like this once in a while.

Tags:
Category:

Wedding Ring Lost at Coopers Beach

  • from Paihia (New Zealand)
Contact:

The first of two recoveries at Doubtless Bay this week….

I was contacted by a friend of Dean after she heard he had lost his wedding ring in the sea a couple of weeks previously.
Hand crafted in the Shetland Islands off Scotland, he only wore it on special occasions.

Dean had taken a dip at Coopers Beach before the wedding, and felt the ring slip off his finger while in the water.
He had given it up as lost, as so many unfortunately do, but his friend Joanne heard about it and contacted me.

Although we had had rough seas since the loss which would have put it a little deeper under fresh sand, two weeks head start was still a very high probability of success for Coopers.
Unfortunately no-one who was there on the day was available, so by playing “Chinese Whispers” with Dean over the phone and some guidance from Joanne as to their regular swim spot I made a start.

Dean mentioned he had been “pretty much straight out from the kayaks”, I arrived and found the cluster of kayaks tied up under the trees and set to work.
The search area progressively grew larger and larger – I operate to 95+ probability of detection and the search pattern markers in the sand expanded further outwards with no sign of the ring.
I had just closed off the area, and started to work on the wildcard possibilities. Unlikely to hold the ring, but I always close off the What-If scenarios, so often they aren’t where people think they should be.

Looking back across the search grid, I was happy I hadn’t missed it. Had a casual walker spotted it and picked it up? Was it really here?
Joanne arrived as I was starting to expand the area yet again, and informed me that Dean was referring to her kayaks further up the beach – that were no longer there as they had been removed before the rough weather!

Back to square one.

Search 2 now started in front of the kayaks that were no longer there…
I worked the new grid, but after another hour, there was nothing but the usual metallic rubbish of ancient bottle caps, can pull tabs and a couple of aluminium rivet heads worn off dinghies years ago.
Joanne had to head off with the kids, so I said I’d finish the next sweep and call it quits.

That sweep finished, I wasn’t ready to let it go so started another, and another… It takes a lot for me to walk away from a ring.

Joanne was long gone when, a quiet tone in the headphones, very faint – almost imperceptible but a definite fluctuation in the threshold hum of the machine but consistent.
I glanced at the display, the detector software didn’t even know it was there! My experienced ears could hear it though.
The scoop went in, me standing on it with all my weight to force it through the layers of tightly packed shell, and the signal remained in the hole.
Another bite, and another until in the fluid sand at the bottom of the hole I saw a flash of yellow nearly 40cm down.

I reached in and pulled a handful of sand out – As my fingers unfolded, the outline of Deans wedding ring emerged.
I sent a text to both Dean and Joanne – “Gottit!”

Dean was back up from Auckland the following weekend, and we arranged a meet to reunite him with the ring.

Tags:
Category:

Silver Ring lost in Kerikeri Garden While Throwing Dog Toy

  • from Paihia (New Zealand)
Contact:

Giorgia was visiting family in Kerikeri over the summer break, having come up from Wellington.
While out in the garden, she was throwing toys for the dog when she suddenly thought she saw her silver ring flying through the air.
A quick check of her hand confirmed it—she had lost her ring.
The family quickly sprang into action, searching the lawn, but to no avail.

She contacted me a couple of days later, and before long, I was standing in their garden, recreating the sequence of events with her over the phone.

By this point, Giorgia had returned to Wellington, but talking to her on the phone, she thought the ring might be in the shrubbery to the right of where she had been standing, or possibly as far as 20 meters away in some bushes near the garage.

The dog had only been trained to retrieve toys, not rings…

I covered the likely areas, and because she mentioned seeing the ring airborne, I was able to focus on a fairly tight search quadrant.
As often happens, though, it wasn’t where she thought it would be.

This is when I switched to my ‘unknown location’ search pattern, and sure enough, twenty minutes later, I found the ring tucked into the thatch of the manicured lawn—nearly 90° from the initially indicated direction of travel, and behind a large tree, 15 meters from where she had been standing. It was a spot the family had already searched.

The ring must have bounced off the branches, which deflected it down and behind the tree.
Every search has its unique twists and turns.

 

Tags:
Category:

Platinum and Diamond Engagement Ring – Quickly Found in Tutukaka Paddock

  • from Paihia (New Zealand)
Contact:

Jess contacted me with an urgent request. She had flown in from Australia to attend a friend’s wedding in Tutukaka, and during the evening, she lost her valuable engagement ring.

They had checked the bins in the bathrooms, the car interior, and various other areas of the venue where the ring could have been lost, but to no avail.

Someone recommended they contact me, especially since they were leaving Tutukaka the next day to head back to Australia.

I arrived first thing the next morning and went through the “20 Questions” to identify areas of highest probability. I agreed with their reasoning that the parking paddock was a very high-probability location for the loss. Jess pointed out the area where their car had been parked, and I started the grid search, beginning wide to ensure the surrounding area was also cleared.

A couple of minutes later, I found a beautiful diamond engagement ring. The two-tone gold/platinum band was perfectly camouflaged against the dried grass cuttings. You could have looked directly at it and not seen it.

I held it up to show Jess, and her face lit up. 🙂

Job done, and another irreplaceable ring safely back on the finger.

Tags:
Category:

Gold Bangle Found at Whangaumu Bay after a Week in the Sea

  • from Paihia (New Zealand)
Contact:

Carol was swimming with her family at Whangaumu Bay (Wellingtons Bay) a week ago, play-fighting with her son in the water, when her treasured gold bangle of 15 years slipped off her wrist and sank into the sand at their feet.

However, she didn’t actually realise it had been lost until later in the day, long after leaving the beach.

With bad weather forecast, I started the search earlier than planned, progressively working deeper as I followed the breakers back and forth along the beach.

After some time—and a lot of can pull tabs—a good signal came through. Seconds later, I was looking at a beautiful solid gold bangle in the scoop. A little worse for wear after being scoured by sand for a week, but it was now safely secured.

A few days later, I met up with Carol and handed over her bangle. Surprisingly, it was, and apparently had always been, a tight fit to get on and off her wrist. So, how it slipped off is still a mystery, even allowing for the usual “ring-removal effects” of cold water.

Tags:
Category:

Ring Lost at Whale Bay, Matapouri – Found in the Sea.

  • from Paihia (New Zealand)
Contact:

Natalie and her partner were enjoying the summer at one of Northland’s secrets — Whale Bay, near Matapouri. Waist-deep in the water, they were playing volleyball when she saw her treasured ring fly off her finger as she hit the ball.

The first ring her partner gave her, gold and aquamarine, it was irreplaceable due to the significance it carried.

They spent some time with masks and snorkels looking for it, but by then, it had already been covered by the light and mobile, broken-shell sand.

She posted a plea in the local Facebook groups, and my reputation for success led people to recommend me.

We met in the car park and followed the track down through the bush to the bay. As we passed each window in the trees, the beach came into view, and you could see why it was one of the most popular local spots.

On reaching the sand, we went over the backstory of the what’s and where’s, and I began the search pattern.

Once the intertidal sand was cleared, I moved into the water. The sand was deep and soft where it was being actively pulled down from the beach, but after a few more minutes, I was wading ashore with a smile.

Natalie started walking toward me, her expression uncertain — and I wondered if she thought I had given up. Then I held out the sand scoop to her, and there it was.
Her precious ring, safely sitting at the bottom.

Her prompt call to a ring finder with 37 years of experience and a solid success rate gave her the best possible chance of recovering her ring.
And all for less than the cost and uncertainty of hiring a DIY metal detector.

 

Tags:
Category:

Gold and Diamond Ring Lost at Coopers Beach – Found

  • from Paihia (New Zealand)
Contact:

Jess and family were up in Doubtless Bay yesterday, and went for a swim at Little Cable Bay.
As her husband waded into the water, he got caught by a wave and his brand new gold and diamond wedding ring was swept from his finger.
Jess’ mum posted on the local Facebook group pleading for help, and I threw the kit into the car and started the 70km journey north.
Low tide was approaching so I focused first on the waters edge, before switching to the submersible kit to clear out a bit wider before that area was lost to the incoming tide.

Another metal detectorist turned up to search a little later on, and I was grateful he didn’t interfere too much with my search pattern.
Unsure of his intentions (a lot of detectorists are what I refer to as ‘ring collectors’), I was keeping half an eye on him which was a distraction.
He didn’t last long though and headed away again after about an hour, this is where my success rate comes from – I don’t give up.

As the sun set, the family had to head away to put their young child to bed, so we shook hands and I carried on.
Night fell as the search continued, eventually overlapping the other detectorists grid, when I got a signal that could only be it – located under the other guys footprint in the sand!
The scoop went in, and about 4″ down I saw the edge of a ring in the sand
Lifting it out it was definitely the one. Job done.
As it was late, I wasn’t able to catch up with them that night, so  this morning, I met up with them for the handover as they headed south for home.

Their Christmas is now much brighter than it had been 12Hrs ago.

Tags:
Category:

Wearable Healing Coil Lost in Northland Garden, Found.

  • from Paihia (New Zealand)
Contact:

Daryyl asked if I was able to locate her wearable frequency generator.
She had tucked it into her top before going out into the garden to spread bark, and while getting changed later that day, noticed it was missing.
After searching the garden, she decided to phone me.

I did some research into the construction, I had no bias for or against the theory behind it, I just needed to determine if there was any metal target inside.
There was a very fine gauge copper coil, not ideal if it was deep under bark – and a rechargeable internal battery, that’ll do!
Yes, I could certainly help.
Daryyl had to travel away but the coil was safe where it was, we arranged for the search the following weekend.

It was a relatively small area, however an excess of wire mesh around the garden and many nails holding the garden beds together (and rusting deep in the soil) meant it would have to be a very small coil to try and avoid multiple targets.
I did a quick scoping search with the 6″ coil, nothing other than foil seed packets, odd nails and screws and flecks of foil.
Step down to the 2″, time to go all surgical…

After about 30 minutes, I got a faint target tucked in under some Blueberries.
I pulled the bark back, chasing the signal.
About 10cm down, Daryyls missing device came into view, likely having fallen out as she leaned forward to spread the bark under the Blueberries.
I recommended she dry it out thoroughly before attempting a charge and having been subjected to only a bit of rain, I suspect it’ll be okay.

Tags:
Category:

Ring Lost in Sand at … Sandy Bay! Quick Find.

  • from Paihia (New Zealand)
Contact:
A phone call this morning led to a quick dash down to Sandy Bay to salvage a sentimental family gold ring lost during a surf lesson.
Fortunately the ring was lost in the dry sand and not in the sea – those recoveries are a lot more technical, this one just needed a systematic and thorough approach.
They did all the right things by marking the area and calling an experienced ringfinder immediately.
With the equipment already in the car from a recovery yesterday, I headed straight down, with the ring being found in a short time after starting the search – just inside the edge of the marked boundary.
A classic case of helping the Ringfinder help you.
But it makes for a very light story 😀
Tags:
Category:

Lost Triple Russian Wedding Ring Found in Whangarei Garden

  • from Paihia (New Zealand)
Contact:

Jo realised her triple Russian wedding ring was missing one afternoon.
Unsure of when or where she had lost it, she turned to me for help.

She had been mowing the paddock with the ride on mower, and had stopped a couple of times to clear the blocked chute of heavy, wet grass.
– Or was it when she had been laying out pea-straw on the garden?

As a heavy shower started to fall, I decided to clear the pea-straw first – No sense in getting all the wet weather gear on for a long paddock search if I didn’t need to.
It was too cramped between the veges for the main machine, and even the 4″ coil would have been banging into and damaging her veges so I opted for the pinpointer.
Halfway down the second row of leeks, I picked up a signal.
I pulled the straw back and there were three golden rings lying on the soil surface.

All done in a couple of minutes, and a quick dash back under the cover of the house eaves while I waited for Jo to emerge from the house.

Tags:
Category: