Ron Wilton, Author at The Ring Finders

An Exercise Run in the Cold & Wet Leads to an Engagement Ring and Wedding Band Lost in a Yucaipa Greenbelt, Than One Found!

  • from Corona (California, United States)
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If you lost your ring or other valuable in the Inland Empire of Southern California, call or text me ASAP! Ron Wilton 951-415-6007!

The second atmospheric river was sweeping through Southern California, so I knew the rain and cold would bring issues. But I didn’t realize it would start with a call for help.  I received a call in the late afternoon of Tuesday, February 20th from Megan, a Kindergarten teacher, who was beside herself. She told me that she had gone out for a quick run by her house the day before and both her engagement ring and wedding band came off. She  knew the approximate area, as she said she felt them come off. But after searching the sidewalk and small grassy area, she failed to locate them.

She then went online and found me on The Ringfinders website. She recorded a video and sent it to me which showed the route she ran, which, thankfully, was short before she lost her rings, and indicated the area she felt it could be. The area was a greenbelt between homes with a sidewalk for walking/running, kids playground equipment, and small grassy areas for pets. I agreed to head over to the greenbelt and start searching for them on Wednesday afternoon as it showed the rain would not be so intense then. Megan was working, so any questions I had I would text her. I checked the edges of the sidewalk along her route but no luck. I then started a grid search of the small grassy area next to the kids playground. After about 10 minutes I found her engagement ring about ten feet off the sidewalk. I continued searching the area but was unable to locate her wedding band. As this is a high traffic area for the local residents walking their dogs , it’s possible the band was found earlier in the day.

I messaged her a picture of the engagement ring and asked “Does one of them look like this?” You could feel the excitement when I received a message back “That’s it! OMG you are my hero! I want to cry in front of all my kindergarteners!”

I met her at her school when it let out and completed the happy reunion. A huge smile and two big hugs…that’s what it is all about!

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Engagement Ring Lost & Found in the Deep Depths of the Couch in Moreno Valley!

  • from Corona (California, United States)
Contact:

If you lost your ring or other valuable in the Inland Empire of Southern California, call or text me ASAP! Ron Wilton 951-415-6007!
I received a call from Alexandra (“Alex”) who told me she had lost her engagement ring in the living room of her house. Alex said she was on her recliner couch with a blanket across her. She took off her rings and set them on the arm of the couch to put lotion on her hands. As she got up she noticed her wedding band on the floor, but was unable to find her single-diamond engagement ring. Alex and her husband did a thorough and lengthy search of the couch, the blanket, the floor, and the adjacent recliner couch, but to no avail. She then went online and found me on The Ringfinders website. We agreed on a time and I went to the house. Alex had to leave prior to my arrival, but her husband, Edwin, was there. He told me they had searched and searched for the ring but could not find it. He said, “I can’t believe it just disappeared”. I was a bit surprised to, as there were hard wood floors, just the two couches and a rack for their DVD’s in the living room. So I began searching the couch, eventually helping Edwin flip it over so I could check all the nooks and crannies underneath with my flashlight. After several minutes I was having no luck. I did the same to the other couch. I checked the floor, and Edwin moved out the DVD rack so I could check behind it. Nothing. I was getting frustrated and echoed Edwin’s “I can’t believe it just disappeared!” statement. I felt I had done a thorough search and I had a feeling it may have fallen back inside the couch which would entail removing the bottom fabric. But Alex had already done that. So before leaving frustrated, I began checking the couch again, pushing back the fabric next to the arm where Alex had been sitting. I was checking it with a strong flashlight and deep down I caught a small bright reflection. I had gotten reflections earlier from some of the fabric staples but this one seemed a little brighter. So I called Edwin over and said “What does that look like to you?” with the flashlight shining on it. “That’s it!” he yelled. But it was deep into the couch and was stuck between a fabric-covered piece of wood and the side. Getting it out would be a challenge. Edwin got a long-nosed pliers and tried getting the ring out. No luck. He then got a butter knife, no luck. He called his son as he has small hands. No luck. I took the butter knife and gave it a try. I tried to push the ring sideways and it suddenly popped onto the knife. I slowly slid it up and asked Edwin’s son if he could grab it before it fell back down, which he did. Edwin was extremely happy and said Alex had been crying very hard when they couldn’t find it. Edwin thanked me and I was on my way. I later received a text from Alex saying “My husband gave me the great news, thank you soooo much” and sent me this photo! Glad I could help.

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Lost Gold Chain, Corona, California…..FOUND!

  • from Corona (California, United States)
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There was sadness and a hint of despair in the phone call I received from a mother of a young football player.
She explained that last night her son, Luka, had football practice at a local park and was wearing his 18k gold braided chain they got him from Italy, with a gold cross. Somehow it got snagged and broke somewhere on the field. After searching, Luka found the cross but was unable to locate the chain. Then, in another stroke of bad luck, he dropped the cross and couldn’t find it.
So the sadness and despair was warranted.

I told his mom, Maddy, that I was immediately available and we met at the park.
After she and Luka showed me the area he thought he lost it, I began doing a grid search, but without luck. I expanded the search area and in less than a half hour found the chain just a bit further out.
Mom was ecstatic and gave me a big hug. Maddy and Luka went home and I continued to search for the next two hours for the cross but was unable to locate it before having to leave. I hope to go back and continue the hunt.

With mom’s permission I’m posting Luka and the Found Chain!

UPDATE: I went back to the park the next day with my other metal detector. A slow and concentrated search in the muddy area of the practice field, which was pointed out by Luka’s coach and another young football player the day before, brought success! The gold cross was also found!

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Lost Wedding Band, Corona, California…FOUND!

  • from Corona (California, United States)
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If you lost your ring or some other item of value, and you know approximately where, TEXT ME, RON WILTON, RIGHT AWAY-951-415-6007! You DON’T need to go out and buy a cheap metal detector!
This ring find began last night just after 10pm. I received a text from Tim K. saying “…I lost my wedding ring at the park yesterday evening. I know the area of the grass it’s lost in, I can show you. I was wondering if you might be available to take a look?”
After agreeing to meet at the park the next morning, I also learned that the city had cut the grass since it happened as well as he and his wife searched the area for a couple of hours until dark with flashlights after buying an inexpensive metal detector, but with no luck.

Upon meeting them at the park, I asked Tim what he was doing when he lost it. Tim said they were walking along and for some reason he took his ring off and started tossing it up in the air and catching it, and catching it, and catching it. And then he didn’t. Fortunately, he knew the small area where it landed and he marked it with some rocks. Even though the grass had been cut, the grass was still 2″-3″ tall.

I fired up my Garrett AT Pro, as my Nox 800 wasn’t charged. I took my own wedding band off and tossed it in the grass and swung my coil over it. A 55-59 signal. After pointing out an area where they had gotten a signal with their metal detector, but couldn’t find anything, I swung the coil over and immediately got a hit. I tried to locate it , but with the grass still being long I had to use my hand-held pinpointer. Yellow-gold wedding band located. I picked it up and while handing it to Tim said, “Does it look something like this?” He took it, looked at it, and said “Yes”, with a big grin on his face. You could immediately see they were once again, one happy couple!

 

 

 

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FOUND Platinum Band Hiding in the Grass in Riverside, CA

  • from Corona (California, United States)
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Did you just lose a piece of jewelry and you know approximately where it was lost? Get a hold of me right away: Ron 951-415-6007! I received a text message from Chris who said he lost his platinum band somewhere in his back yard last night. After an argument, he threw his and his partner’s rings across the back yard. They found his partner’s, but not his. They went out and bought an inexpensive metal detector, but realized it was more complicated than they expected. So he found me on TheRingfinders.com and asked if I could help. I was there within the hour.

When I arrived I had him show me where he was standing when he threw the rings. I then got my “test” ring, a man’s band that is attached to a long length of string, and had Chris throw it like he did last night. After about fifteen minutes of searching the area where the “test” ring landed, which was also the area the other ring was found, I was coming up empty. So I backtracked to where Chris had been standing when he threw them and started my search again. Maybe ten seconds in and BAM, there it was, laying in the grass, maybe a foot away from where he had been. Chris was much relieved and very thankful.

It is such a good feeling to see that expression of relief on their faces when you’re able to find that item…that’s what it’s all about. Don’t wait! Call me!

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Trimming branches lost its CHARM in Riverside, CA- but a happy reunion!

  • from Corona (California, United States)
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I received a call from Patty M. on Monday stating she had lost a special charm off her necklace in her front yard. She said she was trimming the branches of a small tree and as she was about to cut another branch the handle got snagged on her necklace, breaking it, and the attached charm fell off. Patty had searched the area but because there were so many plants, dead leaves and loose dirt, could not locate it. Patty said her son had went to Jerusalem and brought this charm back for her and one for his sister. He told her these were the only ones they had, so losing it was heartbreaking.

We set a date for today to meet. She showed me the landscaped area just at the beginning of her driveway. I did a general search around the tree using my Garrett AT Pro. The shrubbery was tall and dense so I started using my pinpointer. I was having no luck. I went back to the detector and as I got to the area where she had started out, I got a signal in a bunch of dead leaves and loose dirt. I used my pinpointer and found it as I brushed aside some leaves. I stood up and started walking towards her. She asked if I had found it, and I handed it to her. I thought she was going to cry, and she said “Can I hug you?” . I said sure. I was very happy I could reunite them!

 

 

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Lost Rings… in Corona, CA Found and Returned

  • from Corona (California, United States)
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On Saturday, December 7, 2019, I received a text message from Joseph L. from Corona saying he was in need of my service. Joseph said that three rings were lost in the area of a vegetated slope next to the house across the street from his… (1) woman’s and (2) men’s rings. This occurred one week ago. Because it was supposed to start raining heavily anytime, I made arrangements to meet with him the next day. Sunday morning I contacted Joseph who told me that last week he and his wife had been arguing. In anger, his wife took off her ring, so he took his two rings off, grabbed hers and headed to the front door. Joseph went out onto the front porch and threw all three rings across the street in the direction of a large slope area. He said he heard one ring make a thud noise, so knew his heavy ring had hit the dirt on the slope. He said he hadn’t heard his wifes ring and the other ring he believes he heard hit the pavement or sidewalk. He directed me to the left side area of the slope, believing they were on that side.

I unloaded my gear from my car, which was parked at the other end of the slope, and noticed a small shiny oblong object in the street. As it didn’t appear to be a ring due to it’s shape (maybe a pop top), I disregarded it as Joseph felt sure they were at the other end of the slope and I would look closer at it later.

After obtaining permission to search the slope from the other property owner, I began searching. After about one hour, I wasn’t getting any signals other than bottlecaps (I learned kids used to hang out at night along there and drink). Joseph had come back outside and I told him I wasn’t having any luck, but wanted to look at that oblong object in the street by my car before he left. As we walked over to it I bent down and pulled it up from the asphalt. I immediately then saw small diamonds in a row and Joseph said that it was his wife’s ring. Unfortunately, it appeared it had been run over maybe several times.

Now that we were on the other end of the slope, I focused my search there. Rather quickly, I got a signal and located his Tungsten ring  (pictured). After a continued search of that area, I was unable to locate the third ring.

Although his other ring had not been located, Joseph was very happy to have the two back, and a little embarrased.  As he said, “Lessons learned by mistakes made”. I later learned he “upsized” a new ring for his wife and all were happy!

 

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Falling Leaves and a Falling Ring in Corona, CA

  • from Corona (California, United States)
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November 26, 2019
Ron Wilton, Corona, CA, USA

I received a message this morning from Cindy who needed my help. She said that her husband, Casey, had been raking all the Fall leaves in their backyard . Cindy said that when he took off his gloves his wedding band came off and fell to the ground. Although he searched for it, he was unable to locate it. Cindy believed it may have gotten raked up and put in the now full trash can.

I began searching the area with my Garrett AT Pro metal detector with no luck. I dumped out all  the leaves in the trash can and went through them with my pinpointer. No luck. They had a raised flower/vegetable bed nearby, so I began checking it with my pinpointer. Bam, a strong signal. As I moved some leaves there it was. Cindy was very happy and kept saying how her husband was going to be so happy I found it. She had mentioned to him getting a replacement band but he wouldn’t hear of it. Happy day, Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

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Snowy Family Outing in Running Springs Ends With Lost Wedding Ring

  • from Corona (California, United States)
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On March 28th, 2019, I received an email from Luigi stating that approximately one month earlier he took his family to Running Springs, CA to play in the fresh snow. They had pulled off the highway into a turnout which had a slope behind it. Everyone began sliding down the hill. As Luigi was sliding down, he put his bare hands into the snow to slow down. He later realized he had lost his wedding ring. They looked for it but to no avail, so they left. After reviewing video at home he knew approximately where he had lost it.

Luigi purchased an inexpensive metal detector and went back up to search again but the snow had turned to hardpack and was too difficult to dig in. So he left and considered it lost for good. Weeks later he was talking to his brother-in-law in Florida who suggested checking The Ringfinders website which led him to me.

So the next day he and I drove up to Running Springs to the turnout where they played and he showed me the slope. The snow luckily had melted, leaving a lot of trash exposed on the ground.  Based on where the slope was I decided to move my truck closer before getting my detector out. Luigi, unbeknown to me, had climbed down the slope. He suddenly re-appeared with a smile from ear to ear saying he had found his ring. I couldn’t help but get that same smile as I  “high 5’d” him. So I was happy to drive him home and call it a day, since he was the ring finder. But Luigi made it quite clear to me on the ride home that it was because of me that he found it. He stated he would never have gone back up there if it were not for the confidence I displayed. He knew I would have found it, but decided to look first. So a great day for both of us!

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Lost Engagement Ring Lake Elsinore…Found!

  • from Corona (California, United States)
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September 4, 2018
Ron Wilton, Corona, CA, USA

I received my very first call this morning as a new member of The Ring Finders. Needless to say, I was excited and nervous! I so wanted to be able to find that first ring!

Salvador told me that his wife, Celeste, was playing with their dog in the front yard last night and when she threw the ball, both of her rings (wedding band and diamond engagement ring) flew off her hand. Celeste said the rings were re-sized when she was pregnant, but since having the baby her fingers have shrunk back down, but they hadn’t had a chance to get them re-sized again. Due to construction in the backyard, the front yard had a lot of dirt stored. They found the wedding band right away, but not the diamond engagement ring. Salvador said he went out and bought a cheap metal detector and tried locating them, but was only finding bottle caps and junk metal. So he looked up The Ring Finders and found me near by.

Using my AT Pro, I began searching the area where the band was found. The yard was giving off a ton of mixed signals, but all were deep. Salvador had hand-sifted the dirt in the area trying to find the ring and had made several small piles. I was getting multiple tones as I passed over the main pile, so I reduced the sensitivity and started spreading out the dirt. Seconds later I picked up a tone and as I used my pinpointer, found the diamond engagement ring just under the surface. My first words were spoken quite loudly…“There it is!”  Man, was I excited!

Salvador took the ring and thanked me over and over and took it in the house to Celeste. She immediately came out and gave me a big hug and also thanked me. My day was made.

 

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