Richard Browne, Author at The Ring Finders

Kevin was playing ball in the last of the summer’s warm water when the his wedding band slipped into the water. A group of friends spent many hours of searching without the result they desired. A call to J&E Enterprise lead Kevin to calling me for help. Hurricane Jose was coming with high winds, surf and winds, I had to go NOW. Passing up the National Hamburger Day dinner, I was off to a little known beach to start a search. I had Kevin’s description of where to search and Elizabeth was to meet up with me to add more information.

I arrived about an hour before Elizabeth showed up on the beach. I had searched the area Kevin had described. Now with a few more questions answered I moved the search area over another 30 feet. After covering the new area I was on my own. I had to widen the search area and did so by working the wet sand area. I did a turn and magically Ted was standing there watching me. He told me he was Kevin’s friend going back to early school days. He then suggested I cover the area where he would through a rock to. Well that did not go too well as his arm was not in good enough shape to toss a rock far enough. So into the water I went with instructions for Ted to tell me were to stop and search. Another 10 yards past were I had searched I was told to stop. I marked off 5 yards either side of the “stop” mark. I started searching in the direction Elizabeth had said to move from where I had searched. Another 10 minutes and the shining white gold ring was glittering in my scoop. A good thing as I could see and feel some of Jose’s force heading our way.

Timing is always of the essence in locating a lost item. The earlier a search can be started the better the chance for a recovery is. A hint for anyone that “looses” an object is to mark the area, take pictures, note any physical objects that can be used as a reference point then call a RingFinder. If an item is lost in the water, drop a few coins in the area as a “marker” for a searcher to look for. Or as Kevin did – have friends able to help in the search. If it had not been for Ted showing up and putting me in the proper area, I would not have found the ring that afternoon. And it might not have been a couple of days before the hurricane would pass and detecting would be safe to do again.

Thanks Ted!

Ted texted Kevin, Elizabeth and the other friends that had helped in the previous days of searching. Kevin called, thanked me and I gave the ring to Ted to return to Kevin…Done and pictures added.

Gene was pursuing his fishing hobby and had a big trout on the stringer. Little did he know that Cape Cod’s fish are smart and powerful. Yes, the trout pulled the fish stringer free from the rocky area in which it was anchored and started to swim away. Gene’s keen eye caught the movement and was not going to let a fish out swim him. Well, he really was not thinking about swimming but the fish was managing the rocks better than Gene. Gene went down – Dive Number 1 – and he missed to hold onto the trout. Up and after the colorful fish again, OOPS…Dive Number 2 – took place and up came Gene with the trout in hand, BUT without his wedding band. All the movement in the water caused the ring to go into hiding. The resulting search did not reveal the ring’s hiding place in a bit over 2 feet of water.

Days later, while watching TV and the story of Jim Wirth returning a Manhattan University ring to its owner 47 years after it was lost, a search for a RingFinder was on. I was contacted and agreed to go look for the missing wedding band. Wait a minute – Gene wanted to watch the search. Just short of a week later Gene and his wife made arrangements to meet me at the loss location. After a short hike and a 15 minute search I had the ring in my scoop. I walk into shore and let Gene take the golden ring, a symbol of 51 years of marriage, from its temporary resting nest among the rocks in my scoop.

On the walk back to the parking lot I gave Gene a big at-a-boy for his dedication to fishing to feed his family. However, he does not eat the fish he catches. Oh, if Gene only had a trout or two he wanted to give me as a gift. No such luck, maybe I will have to take up fishing again, but then there would be no time for being a RingFinder. Heck here on Cape Cod there is enough fish for everyone. I’ll keep on metal detecting. The people I have met are far more interesting than any fish I ever caught.

After the pictures of smiles were taken and a stories of West Hartford, CT (where I am from) were exchanged we bid our good-byes. Gene had the fish and the ring that did not get away! What a great __ __ __ __ story! – you fill in the blanks, HINT: found on a stringer, or found in my scoop.
What a fish tale – What memories…

My caller ID showed a deceased neighbors name. I had to answer as I thought it was his son and it was. Peter, the caller, was calling, but why? As it turned out he did not realized he had called me but rather just some one that could help find his lost wedding band. Yes King Neptune had grabbed another ring.

This one I was determined not to let it stay in Davy Jones’s locker for long. The first 4 hour search was a bust, I went the wrong way from the grassy point. The next day my, three hour search, I made sure I was in the correct place and right where I made a mark in the sand and some 50 feet from shore up pops a wedding band. I left the beach, went home without stopping for a coffee and called Peter. Dang if it was NOT his ring, I should have looked with a loop to carefully read the inscription. The next day was gale winds blowing which gave me time to rethink the past two hunts. I re-read my notes, checked the tide heights again did some simple calculations and formatted a plan for my next day’s search. The third hunt would cover an area that would have been at waist deep, the depth the ring was lost in. Again lines were drawn in the sand to guide my search. They were not used as in my first pass between the lines I found ring Peter’s ring. I was retrieved in the water directly in front of the center line I had drawn in my eighth hour of searching.

The next morning Peter showed up at my house, with his sons for the ring return and pictures. I have to believe Peter’s father was looking over both of us during the loss and retrieval. Why else?

Martin, a new student at MBL, (Marine Biological Laboratory), in Woods Hole, had one heck of an unforgettable first night. Nothing like this would happen in his motherland of Germany. It started with bright blue lights all around him, the kind he will never forget. The light was not in he rear view mirror but rather all around him as he wadded in the waist deep waters of Buzzards Bay. The bio-luminescence comb jellyfish were the source of this light. – see: http://yesterdaysisland.com/natures-living-light-show-bioluminescence/ for more on this unique sea creature.

However, while thoroughly enjoying the moment, a horrifying second moment occurred that left Martin distracted for the next 27 hours. These hours should have been filled with attention to finishing a cardboard boat for the afternoon’s race he was entered in. No the distraction was not a sting from the harmless jellies, but the loss of his wedding band to Neptune’s dark depths. Not the light from the luminescent jellies nor the light from several waterproof cell phone could expose the ring’s hiding place.

What to do next? What else but Google search for “How in H*** do I find my ring in the ocean?” lead Martin to the web site of TheRingFinders.com. An e-mail sent at 10:30pm was answered an hour later requesting a bit more information and a promise to call around 10am. At 11am I was in the water waving my magic wand. On the seventh target my scoop was filled with black rocks and a glittering gold ring. YES, it was Martin’s. The search was over. Martin removed the ring from the bed of rocks in my scoop and replaced it where it belonged, on his finger, not swimming around with a bunch of jellies.

Pictures, smiles and stories followed along with many congratulations from fellow beach goers.

PS…Martin’s team won the Cardboard Boat Compitition, all team members had a chance to ride the waves. One heck of a great day for Martin. May continued success continue, forever, in all of your endeavors.

Lauren’s secret is revealed here…

I lost my wedding band in the sand and my husband is out west and does not know, yet.

In search of help she contacted the local metal detector J&E Enterprise. Then I was contacted for help. 45 minutes later I was sitting in a line of 15 cars waiting for one of the limited parking spaced at the town beach to become available which happened only when someone left the beach. I called Lauren and told her I would be a while longer as I was waiting in line. She then told me to cut around the line as she had arranged with the parking attendant a space for me to park in.

It took me longer to get ready for the search than to find the diamond studded wedding band. With the ring back on Lauren’s warm hand several “well done” comments were made. The necessary pictures were taken and many questions answered. As well as one request to help find a ring that was lost in the cold snow this past winter.

Joe had a wonderful wife until his wedding band went missing at a Dennis, MA beach. Heck it is only a ring, nothing to get too overwhelmed about, it can be replaced. NO, we will get it back, what else would a wonderful wife and mother of two beautiful children do but to get in touch with TheRingFinders and have her husband’s ring returned.

The first night’s search came and went without the desired results. A bit of confusion on my part about not asking more about the location. I thought I know were I was told the loss took place, but there were three paths through the dunes. After searching by the first path I had a doubt that I was at the right one so I moved to the second and after the same results — onto the third. Again no ring. Back at the car where I called for more information…Yes, the first path was the correct one, but the ring may be in the water.

I was glad to head toward the water as the sand was being blown so hard as to sting my bare legs. Unfortunately my search down the slope of the beach and into the wind blown waves also did not reveal the rings hiding place. The next afternoon after finding and returning Meg’s Yale ring I headed back to search further out into the water. This time success was on my side and I found the size 13 ring.

While detecting I noticed a couple hundred people gathering about 150 yards down the beach…what were they doing? Something you usually see only the TV…releasing a sea turtle. Another highlight of my day.
Back to Joe. After waiting for the turtle watchers single file out of the parking lot I left, got home and called Joe, no answer, message left.
Next I had to make was to Keith’s father-in-law who had called 6 minutes before I arrived home. After leaving the message for Joe to call so we could arrange the ring’s return I left for Hyannis. Read my next blog about Keith’s story.

Back home I called Joe again, made arraignments to return the ring. Surprise! Carolyn was now the MOST WONDERFUL wife! The ring’s physical return was made the next morning. Of course smiles were present on all five of our faces, and if any white dust is seen in the photo it is left over Dunkin Donuts treats. Yes a wonderful and sweet, happy ending for all.

After finding my second ring for return and sitting down at home with a cup of coffee, my wife told me of another call for help finding a lost wedding band. At 6:15 I returned the call, at 7:15 I was entering the water and at 8:15 with flashlights and ball cap lights cutting through the night’s darkness the platinum ring found its way into my scoop.

It was a beautiful blue sky day. Keith was playing with his son in waist deep water when things turned very dark for Keith. His wedding band slipped from his finger into the bay’s water. All the searching did not reveal the ring’s location as is usually the case. In a search for help a call to J&E Enterprise was forward to me. Two hours after the call the platinum ring encircled with Roman Numerals showing the wedding date was no longer lost. Family and friends were all thrilled with the outcome, but not as much as Keith. The return even turned his dark space into a smile as big and beautiful as the waxing moon’s shine.

This return was special to me as it completed a “Hat Trick” – three rings found (a silver, gold and a platinum) and ALL returned in one day! This could not have been done without the help of Eleanor owner of J&E. Thanks to all that have let me help and to those that have passed the information about TheRingFinders along to those in need of help.

Please continue to read my next blog Cape Cod – Ring 3 of 3 returned in one day!

It was a breezy, cool, overcast day’s start at a Dennis, MA beach. With no one in the water and only five other people on the beach Meg, the on duty lifeguard had little to watch for. With nothing but time on her hands she started spinning her Yale University 2018 class ring on her finger. Dreaming of the upcoming school year she found herself looking at the ring and OOPS… And as sand through an hour glass her ring fell from the lifeguard’s perch into the sands of the beach. A hurried search and with the help of her sister, the ring did not show itself.

A call to J&E Enterprise for help ended with a call to me. Within 20 minutes I arrived on the beach with metal detector in hand. I listened to the story of the ring’s loss took two swings which covered the small box were the ring was thought to be. Not there, move to the larger box drawn in the sand and another few swings did not produce anything but a bottle cap and pen. I started to enlarge my search area at the leg of the wooden lifeguard’s chair and bingo; there the ring was resting in the shaded section of the sand.

Ring returned, pictures taken and a big hug, AND I thought that was to make my day. That was not to be…read my blog (Cape Cod – Ring 2 of 3 returned in one day!) for my afternoon hunt for a lost wedding band.

An E-mail requesting help finding a lost wedding band just needed a lot more information. First there are two Sea Street beaches in Dennis; which one? Then a Google map only shows one jetty, a second one was covered by sand in the display. Google’s visible jetty was highlighted as the area the ring was most likely lost at. Fortunately I asked the right questions, got good “clues” on where to look. But as I started walking to the jetty, I stumbled across the previously sand covered jetty and started searching in that area. I was lucky I did as about 15 feet from the jetty’s point I heard the sound of gold and retrieved Eric’s wedding band. Four days latter the US Postal Service delivered the ring to Eric who was kind enough to send me the attached photos…for this, my 50th posting on TheRingFinders.com.

Place holders:

Jeffrey called me about 4:30pm about finding his misplaced ring. I know the beach well and there are many detectorist that comb the sand daily. Therefore it was most important to start searching ASAP. I told Jeffrey that I could meet him at the beach in about 45 minutes. I made it to the beach in 35. I got ready and when Jeffrey showed up we started the short walk to a secluded sandy spot. I thought it would be an easy search – I was wrong. Two beer cans, a couple of pull tabs and a quarter and one target so deep it is still there. But no ring.

Then it was off to second area closer to the water and wet sand. Dang! I had the wrong detector for this search, but I would give it a try anyway as it was a small area and I could see just where Jeffrey had been sitting. In just three swings of the detector a solid response to a buried object was ringing in my ears. Next was to take a scoop of sand and yes in the sand was a platinum ring, the object of my search. I sifted the sand from the scoop leaving only the ring. Now it was Jeffrey’s turn to do something except watch me with great expectations. It was his task to remove the ring from the scoop and place it back on his finger were it belonged.

The round trip from and back to the cars took less than 25 minutes. When back at the cars a couple of quick stories were shared and pictures were taken. The only down side to this return was it delayed both Jeffrey’s and my timely entrance to our dinner engagements. However, the entrances were made with smiles, just a bright as the ones in the photo for sure.