Richard Browne, Author at The Ring Finders | Page 14 of 21

Lewis Bay, Mass.; Ring Found: Clams 1, Searches 2, Bouys 3, Happy Family Members 4

  • from Cape Cod (Massachusetts, United States)
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July 22, 2018

Use the proper tool for a given task was always the recommendation my father gave to me.

Joe would have had a better two weeks had his father-in-law had an extra clam rake for him to use. Not having a clam rake Joe used the next best item available, his hands to dig for clams. Little did he know that clams love gold rings. The clam that got away on that Sunday made away with Joe’s wedding band. Swimming masks and snorkels were not the proper “tools” to find a lost ring in the low viability of the bay.

A few days later was the start of a very confusing (for me) understanding of the lost ring’s family. Well that was my problem and did not have an affect on my search. What turned from a 30’ radius round a buoy to into a much larger area. So large I did not find the ring on my first 3 hour search. I then waited for better tide and sun combination. I hate getting sun burned. The second search I took a second detectorist. We covered the area were the ring “was” lost and increased the search area beyond the original 30’ circle and area to get from the beach to the buoy. Increasing the radius by about 20 feet did the trick. The ring was in my scoop. Oh the clam that I believe to be the culprit who took the ring in the first place had told me to go in the direction I did as I increased the search area. He and several of his friends who had been taunting be to break the law and take them home to be made into clam chowdah were put back into the bay’s bottom, left for Joe to put his new clam rake to a good use on.

The day after finding the ring all my confusion was put straight, five names, four people now I got it. I met with Joe, his wife, mother- and father-in-law. All were present at my house where the ring was returned, photos were taken, and a few good tales passed. A fun family, I am sure the ring will now have a long and happy life even with an invisible scare where it was made to loose a bit and tighten up on Joe’s finger. I thank all that made this return a wonderful memory.

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Wedding band returned with help from Google Map of Cape Cod

  • from Cape Cod (Massachusetts, United States)
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July 12,2018

Contacted via E-mail for a lost ring at a small private beach. No parking available so a hike was in order from a town beach. The first night showed no sign of a ring. With Google Earth map in hand, Jim and I headed back the second night and expanded the area of our search. A bit of confusion on which Sunday and which “little” jetty and if the jetty could be seen at high tide kept us guessing. No need to make any more guesses; as I was was about to leave the original search area after 5 hours of searching the area the ring said it had had enough and reluctantly crawled into my scoop. YES, the search was over. Return was arranged via the USPS, delivered and waiting photos.

On to the next search and return adventure…

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Ring Finder turns Phone Finder, South Yarmouth, Cape Cod, MA

  • from Cape Cod (Massachusetts, United States)
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July 11, 2018

Out early this morning for a little Water Walking and in waist deep water I saw what looked like an Apple Orchard making my metal detector scream in my ears “Dig Me” and so I did. To my surprise there was a cell phone with two “Apples. on the outside of a LifeProof case and a dog looking out of the screen on the other side. While looking at the dog I could here her saying “Thanks for saving me from that watery grave. I want to go home now!” Come to find out the dog’s name was Debbie.

Well being that I know almost nothing about these new cell phone, I asked Jim (my detecting buddy) and he Googled how to return a found cell phone. Nothing seemed to work. As customary Jim and I stopped for our usual cup of coffee and pastry after a morning of detecting the local beaches. Upon returning to the car the cell phone had a display of Papa Called. Jim with his magic fingers got to a screen of the Locked phone that let him Call Back – Popa without having to have the password to unlock the phone.

Within the hour Popa and Nana were standing in my yard relating stories. It was James’, their grandson’s, cell phone. He had lost it the day before. And as the phone was under water all calls to the phone went directly to voice mail. The calls made last night went unanswered. The phone was returned with a bit of a charge left and a small amount of water removed from the LifeProof case.

Popa, Nana, Jim and I are all very glad we had a chance to meet and make James’ loss just a story to be passed along, thanks to a TheRingFinders member, even without contact for help.

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Private Beach in Falmouth, MA Takes and Gives Back a Wedding Band

  • from Cape Cod (Massachusetts, United States)
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July 6th

Jenn lost her wedding band, I was unable to do a search until the next day, but she had to leave her Vacation rental and head home before I could meet her. Her ring lost while playing ball in a small private beach’s clear water. I had her permission, but she was not there to help me gain access to the private area. Well a copy of the E-mails that outlined the area and the ring’s loss got me the permission I needed to start searching. Within 20 minutes the shinning gold was in my scoop. As I left I met up with the Jolly Beach Guard. A long talk and explanation of the how, why, and wheres of detecting I received a thank you from the Jolly Beach Guard.

I did not have a phone number to contact Jenn. So as soon as I got back home, I sent the finding of the ring’s news via an e-mail, The ring will be returned via the US Postal Service. Photos will be sent to be added to the posting. It is just great how things come together with help of others.

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200th RETURN! Sophie’s College Ring in Sand for 3 days – Found and Returned

  • from Cape Cod (Massachusetts, United States)
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July 2, 2018

Sophie had contacted me about her, lost in the sand, college ring just before I was heading out to search for another ring. We made plans to meet after I got back on dry land after hunting an island’s water for a wedding set. Well, nothing went well, I did not find the wedding set and the 20 minute boat ride we did not meet up for the search that night and I had another search to do the next morning. Having found the morning ring I had a small lunch and headed for the private beach to meet Sophie. A short wait, a short hello, a short dawning of my detecting gear, a short walk to the beach, a short explanation of how the ring was lost, a short time to search…and a short time to take the ring from my scoop and put it back on Sophie’s finger. It was then time for thank yous, pictures and a promise of a Thank You note.

Ah, but Sophie was the 200th return of a detected item for me. Several less than half of which were made before I joined The Ring Finders. I had to do something special. Many thoughts came and went. As fate would have it, the answer came from summer detecting partner. Quite an entrepreneur, Jim and launched a Kickstarter for a keepsake coin, the Carpe Diem, (Seize the Day). I thought this would remind Sophie of how special occurrences happen and how to handle them as she carries the “coin” along life’s path. I will take time right now to thank all that have contacted The Ring Finders for help and have added to the wonderful joy of our hobby of Metal Detecting. My life has been made richer, not by the value of a find, but by the helping others through a stressful time with my expertise.

Thank You!

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Lost Ring in the Sound While Tossing a Football – Found and Returned

  • from Cape Cod (Massachusetts, United States)
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July 2, 2018

Karim’s call was made in panic, he had lost his wedding band of twenty-five years. The same ring that had slipped form his finger just a day after his wedding. De ja vue, but this time he could not find the ring. In our correspondence, I agreed to search for the ring. First I had to meet him at his brother’s house and then take a boat ride to the opposite side of the river where the beach was. I arrived at our meeting place and while sitting on the deck an aroma of honeysuckle filed my nostrils I could do nothing but reflect back to my childhood porch with the same fragrance. A million dollar moment was broken by passing police cars which I learned later were on their was to an motor vehicle accident.

Back to reality Karim and I were down on the dock, boat and headed to the island. Within a few minutes I was in the water, looking for the lost ring. A short search of less than 5 minutes ended with the ring in my scoop and Karim removing it. What a beautiful day it was. A ride back across the river and I was off to lunch and another search to find a college ring. But not until a few more breaths to inhale the fragrance of the honeysuckle.

The accident was a single car going off the paved road, hitting a rock and landing on its roof. It had happened just before Karim got that section of the road. Luck and my skill work in his favor that day.

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Two weeks as a wedding band then 2 days lost in Provincetown

  • from Cape Cod (Massachusetts, United States)
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June 21,2018

My super detector dealer Eleanor needed a hunting partner to search a cold water beach. Not thinking it would be too cold for bating suit and booties, that is what I took for the search. After our meeting with the Chief Park Ranger and obtaining specific permission to search for the one item, a wedding band, we headed off to the area the ring was lost at. When my toes hit the water, I had the awful feeling that I would not last too long in the water. And I was correct.

I started at one end of the search area, going parallel with the water’s edge I stayed in the water ankle deep. I was chilled at the end of the search area, exited the water under the pretext of marking the beach. In reality I wanted to warm my feet in the bright sun. Back in the water and a bit deeper this was going to be my last stretch, well my next to last anyway. On the third pass I got the signal and saw the ring in my scoop and I was too cold to remove it from the scoop. I rushed back to Jimmy and had him remove the ring that was colder than I was. It had spent the night alone and chilling in the cold water.

The ring was but two weeks into a life-long journey and now after two days in the cold ocean waters, that was enough, it was back where it belongs. After photos and Thank-Yous Jimmy, Ann Marie and the ring were heading to Salem and to continue the honeymoon with promises of no more swimming with the ring.

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A ring return just hours before hurricane Jose hit Cotuit, MA.

  • from Cape Cod (Massachusetts, United States)
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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.

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What a ring return in Brewster, Cape Cod, MA

  • from Cape Cod (Massachusetts, United States)
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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…

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The third time is the charm – ring found at Yarmouth, MA beach

  • from Cape Cod (Massachusetts, United States)
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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?

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