Lost Beautiful Platinum Ring Recovered & Reunited in Santa Cruz . . .!

  • from Santa Cruz (California, United States)
Contact:

A call came in later in the evening on Wednesday from a man stating that his wife had lost her platinum band at a popular local beach. (He had been referred to The Ring Finders and me, from a friend in Minnesota who had used the service there with great results !) I had maybe an hour left of light but I prepared for that. I grabbed my Whites MXT Pro with a backlight, hooked up the 10″ D2 coil, grabbed my headlamp  and I was geared up for the hunt. I was anxious to get there asap so I could get some good visual points of reference from the owner while there was still light. I was prepared for a long, tough battle. I explained the difficulties to the owner beforehand and told her that I would hunt as long as possible that evening/night and come back the next day after work if nescessary. She was looking despondent and I was determined to come through no matter what it took. The ring composition combined with the fact that it was carved through in the design, had stones and it was a ladies band (usually smaller) all added up to a target that could potentially read very low conductivity . . . possibly even signaling down in the iron range. This did not bode well for a hunt on a popular beach where campfires are allowed. . . I started the search. Now I don’t know if the Universe was feeling generous or if I had just earned it but 15′ in from the start of my search (which I began about 10′ outside the most likely spot) I hit my first signal, a solid 20 VDI on the MXT Pro and 3-4″ down. I slowly dug into the sand, spreading it aside when the gorgeous platinum band poked out. It was stunning, a piece of art really . . like a sculpture. I could not believe my good fortune but I kept my composure as I asked the owner if she could come over and answer a quick question for me. I pointed at the partially uncovered ring down in

My "partner" holding our quarry

the hole in the sand and I asked her if her ring looked anything like that one. After a few moments, recognition suddenly spread across her face as she yelled out “You found it . . ! !” Indeed I had. The small group adjacent to the hunt broke out in cheers and as I watched the ecstatic couple (and the sunset) I enjoyed the reward that only someone who has gone through it can understand. .  . . unreal !

4 Comments »

4 Replies to “Lost Beautiful Platinum Ring Recovered & Reunited in Santa Cruz . . .!”

  1. Christie says:

    FYI – I had to share the story on fb. Great job!

  2. Vickie (the ring owner/client) says:

    Dear Scott, I cannot thank you enough for recovering my ring– a formidable task for the reasons you have already mentioned. Twin Lakes Beach is one of the most frequented beaches in all of Santa Cruz. I realized that the ring was missing 2 hours after we had left and had a meltdown; fortunately, my friends who were visiting immediately eased us into problem-solving mode. We went back to the beach where we got on our hands and knees to search for this ‘needle in a haystack’ for quite some time, but it was clear that while we were gone, the foot traffic had been heavy, and the area was zigzagged with tracks left from tents, beach chairs, and towels. Sand had been kicked about and the tide was coming in. The lifeguard advised me to go to the Harbormaster office to ask if someone there might have a metal detector. The front desk attendant called a friend who apparently owned a detector and asked him to come in and the friend said that he would come within 10 mins., but that his equipment was low on battery. The search help arrived, but this man’s equipment was just really dusty and battered. Because the battery was low, too, we had to hurry. For 45 minutes, he scoured the area, but no luck. We threw our hands up in defeat and since my friends had to start their trip back to L.A. (this debacle had delayed them already by several hours), we left the beach and went home. My husband Marc was home from work and I told him everything and we were both so sad. Then, suddenly, I received a text from a dear friend of mine in St. Paul, MN, whose husband had lost his ring in a snow bank last winter. He had found a retrieval specialist through theringfinders.com with success, so she urged me to research the site. Marc looked up the site and lo and behold, you, Scott, were listed. We called. You answered. We drove back to the beach and you met us there promptly (10-15 minutes tops) with all your bells and whistles; admittedly, seeing that you were so well-equipped gave me hope! As you explained, I was shocked when you called me over, less than 15 minutes into your search, to identify the ring. “Did your ring look something like this?” I COULD NOT believe it. I’ll never forget it, either! Leaping for joy, hooting, hollering, and hugging concerned bystanders. That one group you mentioned that had witnessed the search from beginning to end was carried up in the moment, too, with one woman actually crying because she was so relieved for me. Super-sweet. Recovering this ring was important, as you can imagine, not simply because of its’ material worth… as a cherished symbol, this ring carries a memory and marks some very important chapters of my/our life story! THANK YOU for your professionalism, meticulousness, and sincerity – all qualities that shined through in this pursuit! We will definitely recommend your services to our contacts in the future! Best wishes, Vickie

  3. Chris Turner says:

    Now that is why i created this directory Scott! Well done my friend, you had a huge set back last year when your metal detecting equipment was stolen and you bounced back! Way to go! I’m very proud of you and all my members because this is what its all about!
    Best, Chris

  4. Scott Foss says:

    Thank you Vickie (& Marc of course!)for the wonderful compliments. Fortunately Vickie you have a very caring and clear,quick thinking husband and friends to help put the whole recipe for success together. After meeting you both I can see why, it was a pleasure. I’d like to give an “assist” to our Ring Finder member in Minnesota (whoever he/she is) for the great work in the past that helped lead directly to us meeting and to this recovery. Thank you again Marc & Vickie for calling me to take on this challenge . . . it was a great day in my life also !

Comments are closed.