Richard Browne, Author at The Ring Finders

A call for help came via a referral. E-mails followed; one with annotations on a beach photo nailed down the lost ring’s location. After I completed a few to-dos at home I headed off to the beach where I had to use a bit of compassion to have the parking fee waived. I parked, donned my gear and I was off, all set to search the beach. After an unsuccessful first round of searching, I changed detectors and headed back to the sand. I then spoke with a few beach sitters, who were waiting for the sun to set, as to just what I was doing so close to them. To my surprise I was told that they had been present the day before when the ring was lost. I was directed to an area just a few feet away that I had already searched, and Bingo, there was the platinum ring. I thanked the beach sitters as I showed them what I had been looking for and wished them a beautiful sunset and then I left to call Valerie.

A very excited Valerie made arrangements to meet the following day for the ring’s return. She showed up with a spectacular and very fragrant hyacinth and a lovely hand written Thank You card. Photos were taken and a few stories passed. A comment was made about my Japanese Red Maple tree and as it just so happened I had been growing a few and would not let Valerie leave without one for her yard.

A day of Smiles all around!

Smiles all around!

The difference in the meaning of “DEEP” water is relative to one’s height.

Mike’s loss was not noticed at once so my search area was within 3 areas and the path between them. A Google photo with the marked area and the fact he was playing with his kids my search plan was set. I started at low tide, and worked up the beach’s slope. The water was heavy with seaweed and I could search that area when the tide came in. After 2½ hours I was searching in the water but had little hope as I would be underwater at high tide and Mike was not when he lost his ring. Little did I know Mike stands well over 6’ tall and his head would still be above water long after I would have needed a long snorkel to stand next to him. I have dreamed of being that tall while detecting in deep water. Back to the search…I found the ring a half hour after entering the water within 10 feet of the center of the most likely area as identified by Mike on his area photo. If I only knew and there was not the floating seaweed, I may have found the ring in less time. Mike came to my home to pick up his ring of almost 13 years. What a personality, I knew I was in for an exciting talk form a very energetic man after only a few minutes on the phone with Mike. It was a memorable pleasure meeting Mike, his enthusiastic smile and returning his ring.

A re-occurring scenario playing ball in the water, Patrick’s Platinum wedding band was knocked off his finger on 8/22. He and several friends, and children search with no result. Patrick reached out to me for help. I had one search that had to be done in the morning’s low tide. I showed up at 11:30am and was given the needed information to start the search. In setting up my gear, a dime signal was heard, but I was too eager to get into the area so I left the signal and headed out into deeper water. A penny was the next target and I did retrieve it. Than the big bang, one shallow scoop and there it was a nice round piece of Platinum. Two minutes at most…but it will be a wait for a picture of Patrick and his ring as he was in California. His wife’s smile will be shown in the Book of Smiles until Patrick’s photo can be obtained.

One ring that could never be replaced slipped from Christopher’s finger just less a few days of of 3 months of being placed there. The ring had quite a history. It had traveled to Ireland and Italy on a honeymoon, had a personal blessing by Pope Franciscus, and lost just yards away from where it origin had started. Chris had the presence of mind to take note of the location the ring slipped from his finger and then his wife contacted me via TheRingFinders.

I arrived and was told the ring was gold with a silver band of Celtic knots and it would be found 15-20 feet into the water when I aligned myself so I could see into the drain pipe protruding from the break-wall. Two pull tabs, three bottle caps and then a crazy signal…the detector had a difficult time distinguishing between the two metals. I thought I had trash and was very surprised to see the ring in my scoop. Smiles, hugs, and thank yous ended the emotional trauma of a very special ring’s short history and the beginning of a very long one.

I did not find the ring, BUT my detecting partner, Jim DID.
A Google area photo helped, it lead Jim to the ring.
It is great to have help! Jim was heading off Cape and left the ring’s return up to me.
What a team, I can not wait until Jim returns next summer!

A NOTE FROM MATT:
Hi Rick, in addition to the thank you parcel headed for you and Jim. A donation has been made in your name to the Cape and Islands retired K9 relief fund. As an added bonus, my firm has matched my donation dollar for dollar. Rick we did a lot of good today. You were the catalyst! Thank you again for everything.

Godspeed, Matt

What an experience; the search for this ring will never be forgotten. The usual questions, answers and a Google map photo of the area. The next low tide was 2am and my detecting partner, Jim, and I were up for a hunt in the dark. A beautiful night, bright moon, stars, shooting stars, and heat lightening in the distance. 3 hours later, no ring but a mind full of fantastic sights. I returned a 1pm with Mike’s in-laws. They agreed that Mike’s “area” was off. They told me were to go, stop and start detecting to the right, not left as Mike’s map had shown. Two passes parallel to the beach too about 4 minutes with no targets, I turned for the 3rd pass, took 3 steps and there it was, Mike’s ring in my scoop. Back on the sand, cheers from the crowd on the beach and disbelief that the ring had been found and so fast and returned to Mike’s father-in-law (shown in photo).

I Can’t Say It Enough “How To Find a Lost Ring on Cape Cod, MA”

Do one of two things, drop coins, pull tabs or bottle caps were you lost the ring. OR as Garrett did, make a detailed sketch of the loss area, with all points that could be used as locator ID points. And write down some description of item, time of day, water height on your body (if you were in the water) THEN: get in touch TheRingFinders.com and choose a detectorist in your area. OR as Garrett’s did, make contact through a metal detector dealer in the local area, in this case, the dealer contacted me.
With information in hand I hit the water and withing 3 minutes the search was over! As I was going to Connecticut the next day and passing within 2 blocks of Garrett’s house I offered to return his ring then. Perfect! A delightful conversation and a beautifully written Thank You Note. The pleasure was all mine. I enjoy every minute of my hobby. Thanks to all that have allowed me to help.

It just was not Artie’s week, first he lost his e-cigarette in the ocean. I had found the device not knowing it was Artie’s, so home to the junk bin it went. Two days later while looking for another lost item, Artie asked me if I had found an e-cigarette. Yes I did and I returned it to him. Later that afternoon I got a call from Artie…Rick I need your help. My daughter pulled a medallion off my necklace and dropped it into the ocean about where you found the e-cigarette. 20 minutes later I was in rough seas and among seaweed looking for the medallion. Another 20 minutes and Artie became the first person I had the pleasure of returning 2 different losses and returning them on the same day, but not at the same time.
A celebration followed at Artie’s home. Amazingly a friend of Artie’s’ that I had returned a ring to a couple of years ago was also at the celebration. You just never know what one will find while pursuing the hobby of metal detecting.

Father’s Day, a day of memories, gathering and new happenings to remember.

Kevin’s mother was a denatal assistant who had made a wedding bands from old dental gold.
Unforunately she lost it sometime after her husband’s band had been lost on a nice little sandy beach. Kenvin had the opportunity to replace both his father’s and mother’s rings many years ago, while on deployment with the U.S. Coast Guard. Upon his father’s passing Kevin was given the wedding band by his siblings. The ring was then passed on down to Kevin’s son, Steve who had the unfortunate luck of loosing the ring on the same beach his grandfather had lost his first wedding band. I was called and could not wait to start a search for the missing ring. I found the ring I was looking for, but not the original ring that was lost so many years ago.

A note from Steve:

Dear Richard
Thank you so much for finding my ring earlier this month. It was a truly terrifying experience that was only stopped due to your skill and generosity. Nobody should have to get up early on Sunday and yet you obliged. I have been meaning to thank you for this, but my wife and I purchased and moved into a house since the incident, I apologize for the delay. I wish to send along our most sincere gratitude for what you did. It meant the world to us and even more to me personally. Without your skill the like of this married man would have been filled with more sorrow, disgust, and condescension than I could have handled.

Thank you.

-Steve

From the Hand to Sand and Sea and then “To The Moon…” and the dogs; A Cape Cod Ring Return

While enjoying my Caribbean vacation, I received an e-mail a request for help in finding a lost wedding band on Cape Cod. I just could not leave the tropical island for another week. So I offered up two other detectorists that could do a search. They went twice in the next couple of days, with no success. I returned home and a week later the tides were right for another search. An hour and a half later this lovely ring with a unique inscription of “to the moon…” was in my scoop. The day I found the To The Moon ring was the day the Appalo 11 landed on the Moon with Neal and Buzz. Janice’s husband has a tatoo of the Earth as seen from the Moon and the Moon was full. The ring was given to Janice’s parents who told many details of the ring’s meaning.
As a Thank You, a donation was made to the Yarmouth Police K-9 Fund.
What a wonderful time I had when I returned from my vacation with a tan and smiles all around.