Scott Foss, Author at The Ring Finders | Page 3 of 5

The call came in from a young lady who was in town visiting and had been down at the boardwalk beach. She had taken off her necklace, forgot about it then had inadvertently flung it into the sand when she shook off her towel . . an all too familiar story. When I first spoke with Rachel she had a wonderful attitude, she had basically already given the necklace/pendant up as lost to the universe and had concluded that it “was meant to be”. I on the other hand was not content to accept that. I was going to do my best to force the universe to return the necklace back to where it belonged. On a brisk, foggy morning after meeting up at the location I began my search in what we deemed the likely area of the item. Several minutes into the search Rachel called me over to another spot about 15-20 feet away. She had found a small item of theirs from the day before (a towel tag) that was stuck in the sand, indicating the spot where she had been with her friend. Relocating, I resumed the hunt and received a very faint signal after a short time. This was a signal that I would never dig on a pleasure hunt but this was a search and you check every signal. Also, she had shown me a photo of the piece so I knew the signal would probably not stand out very well. The machine was saying “foil” which was exactly what I was expecting, looking down I could actually faintly see some of the fine gold links of the chain barely breaking the surface of the sand. I pointed this out to Rachel who reached down and pulled the necklace/pendant from the sand and out of the universe’s fickle grip. The huge smile on her face made my day and is the best reward you could ever hope for. This was the most beautiful and interesting piece I’ve recovered yet. It was a gold and silver wire wrapped, hand-carved tourmaline flower pendant on a fine gold chain. The best thing about making recoveries is the rewarding feeling you get from helping people and their immense gratitude. Hand in hand with that comes the great experience of meeting some awesome people along the way.

The owner had lost her wedding ring but was not entirely sure if it had been at her home or not. This is an immediate red flag as it brings the biggest variable into play i.e. “is this even the right spot?” After going over all the details I determined that the ring had almost certainly been lost on the premises somewhere but whether that was in a spot where my equipment would be able to find it was the big question. While the actual search is when you find lost items and gets all the glory the pre-search work is actually the most important part in the equation and is what really determines the odds for success. The owner did a great job of describing where she had been and what she had been doing so my job was now to take that information, combine it with my previous experience and determine the overall strategy for the hunt. The overriding priority and the reason we all do this is to assist anyone in need of the help only a detectorist can provide. We all crave that moment of complete joy when an item is rescued and returned to the owner, there’s nothing like it.

I formulated my plan. I would start in what, in my opinion would be the highest probability area and work out from there. The first area was obviously going to be problematic. There was a drip irrigation system with multiple metal couplings and pieces that would pretty much mimic the same signal as, you guessed it, a gold ring. There was also the usual peripheral interference coming from adjacent metal in walkways, foundations etc but I had installed my “sniper” coil to try and “see” around all the clutter. Several minutes and one bottle cap into the search the preliminary work paid off big time. I pulled a clean signal from the chatter, scraped away the dirt and out popped a beautiful diamond about 2″ down. Whether I’ve gotten better or luckier is anyone’s guess, I prefer to believe the former 🙂 Just as a disclaimer, after my last successful recovery I had an unsuccessful attempt so they don’t all turn out. This one did, the ring’s going home and there are at least three people having a great day. Peace.

I was looking at a potentially daunting search. The owner had lost her wedding ring a couple days prior while gardening and the possible hiding places amounted to several areas spread about as well as 3 large refuse cans full of clippings . . and that was only the front yard. Most of the areas had multiple obstructions which would make searching much more difficult and time consuming. All this coupled with the fact that the ring may have accidentally been buried added to the long list of possibilities, all of which I would likely have to address. My strategy in situations like this is to start with the easiest (i.e. most accessible) most well defined areas first then work my way through the more challenging spots. This method works well for me as it helps me to keep focused. Losing your focus, even momentarily, can be disastrous. I decided to start with a long narrow strip adjacent to the driveway and soon realized that there were even more challenges in store. Numerous metallic underground items were causing interference which could possibly mask the ring and make it “invisible” to my machine. With finding and returning the ring my only priority I steeled my focus and prepared for a long battle. Only a few minutes into searching and eliminating this area I received a strong signal. It was a little high relative to what I was anticipating for the ring. Having to check any and all reasonable signals I kneeled down and pulled back at the low cover and duff and there it was! I couldn’t believe my incredible good fortune, I was completely stunned. Staring at the ring glinting in the morning sun I was happy that the ring was going to be going home. Now it’s at this point I’d love to emphasize how my thinking and/or execution led to this quick find but truth be told it mostly boiled down to pure good luck. The owner had done a great job of putting me on the spots where the ring may lay and I happened to make the right choice where to begin the search. The ring is back home now and that’s all that matters. An awesome day.

First off this search came about by way of a referral, a friend had told the owner of the lost rings about me and the Ring Finders service. This is really nice to hear as it confirms that the general public is becoming more aware of us and what we do . . now on to the story. The owner had been at a local beach the day before and upon returning home discovered that both her engagement band and wedding ring were missing. After going through all the possibilities it was determined that the rings had almost definitely been lost at the beach and that’s when I was contacted. The owner’s father met me at the beach early to guide me to the area they had been in. I was pretty fired up as this would be my first search for a “double”, two rings lost at the same time. Living right or living lucky, I’m not sure which but within a couple minutes I got a low, “dirty” signal and reasoned that it was probably a bit of trash but when I looked closer I could see the solitaire diamond as well as part of the silver colored wedding ring poking above the surface ! Halfway to my goal I kept the search going and in a short time had also rescued the engagement band from it’s hiding place about 4″ down in the sand . . . my first “double” ! It bears saying that although this would, on the surface appear to have been an easy search it could have turned out much worse if not for the owner and her family’s diligence in helping to put me close in to where the rings were lost. The combination of characteristics for both rings, the material, size, stones and design combined to make both rings appear to be nothing more than pieces of foil to my machine, had I been searching a large area they would not have been hard to pass right by. It was a team effort and today the team won big time.

 

 

 

Ted had been riding his mountain bike in the Santa Cruz mountains when he took a heavy, violent slam. After recovering, he was heading home when noticed that he had lost his palladium wedding band somewhere along the way. After talking over the circumstances with him, it seemed very likely that it had flown off during the crash and still lay hidden somewhere in that area. We agreed to meet up Friday morning for the 15 minute hike up to the spot. Although it seemed semi-certain the ring was probably somewhere in the crash area I still had some reservations about the likelihood of locating it. I’ve done several searches up there and it is always an extremely difficult task. The deep redwood duff and endless snags makes it almost impossible at times to search efficiently and completely. Still, Ted was obviously very anxious to recover his ring so I mentally prepared myself to make my best effort at doing just that. After the hike up we came to the spot of his mishap. I looked up the trail he had come down just prior to crashing and it looked to me to be closer to a cliff than a trail ! I was stunned at the fact he hadn’t been seriously hurt but quickly turned my attention to what we were up against. Luckily a good part of the area was semi-open but the heavy canopy of redwoods had done their branch-shedding best to make sure it wouldn’t be an easy search by any stretch. I first scanned the trail, the clearest area, to eliminate it then I moved off into the much more challenging area along the left side. He had been wearing the ring on his left hand so I figured that side to be the likeliest area for the ring to be in. After 20 minutes of snag infested searching I had done all I could, to my satisfaction, to eliminate this area and turned my attention to the right side of the trail. This side had the added challenge of a narrow, deep cut from rain runoff that contained some spots that would leave the ring unfindable if it had had the misfortune of ending up there. I had to purge that possibility from my thinking and keep my focus. Besides, the small ravine was a good 12-15′ off the trail, surely the ring couldn’t have gone that far ? After 25 minutes more and I was thinking I had searched as much area as was reasonable to assume the ring to be in but experience has taught me that lost rings rarely behave reasonably. I could sense Ted was losing hope and preparing himself for a disappointing outcome, I wanted very badly to find his ring and turn his day completely around. I asked Ted to begin clearing some snags from a secondary, less likely area that I was planning on searching next and then told him I was going to make one more pass along the right side just to be certain. I steeled my focus and started up my last grid line. A few steps in I received a signal, I wasn’t very confident this was my target but I’d never hunted palladium before and since I had to check every signal anyway I kneeled down and pulled at the duff. The forest under the heavy redwood canopy is pretty dark so I couldn’t see the object I had located very well but after a few seconds, a couple inches down, a silver-colored ring with braiding appeared and I knew I had hit pay dirt ! The ring had flown over the ravine and landed a good 25′ away from where Ted had impacted when he crashed ! I looked over towards Ted, pointed down and asked him “does this look familiar ?” He immediately spotted the band and yelled out “No way !”. He grabbed the ring and me up into a huge hug so fast I didn’t have time to react. My injured ribs from my own slam on a skateboard reminded me they were still mending but a little pain was definitely worth this reward.

The request came in about 7:30 a.m. Sunday. I was already up and working on a project but pushed that aside to search for a smart phone that was lost in the sand on an East side beach. Time is always a prime concern on a search but it can be much more critical with an electronic device lost out in the elements. A successful search for a phone that’s already destroyed doesn’t help anyone. A phone may not be  as “sexy” as a piece of fine jewelry or have the intrinsic monetary value but in this day and age they can have just as much personal and sentimental value attached, finding the phone was my single goal. I met the owner at the spot and was searching the area by 8 a.m. The possible location of the item encompassed several areas so I had to prioritize. I knew a new swell was filling in and the tide was rising so I searched the area most in jeopardy from the advancing ocean first. Since a cell phone is a huge object compared to a ring I was able to adjust my search speed up higher and cover ground more efficiently. This was critical as I was racing the ocean as well as the crowds of people and dogs filling in on a bright, beautiful Fall Sunday morning. After gridding out from my central point for an hour and a half I had covered all the likely spots for the phone to be in on the open beach, that left just the corridor leading from the most likely area back to the stairway leading off the beach. IF the phone was lost here that was the last area it could be in. I started searching the area, working my way toward the stairs and rocks that bordered that corner of the beach. After 45 minutes I was running out of room and I knew the search would soon be ending . . I was mentally preparing to make that hard phone call. I was literally on my last swath of sand to search, probably no more than 20 square feet left to search when I got an overload signal on my machine in a little cubby among the rocks, possibly the least likely area for the phone to be in. That was the signal I was looking for but it’s the same signal that most of the 14 bottle caps I had already dug up had also given me. I swiped at the sand with my hand and instead  of bottlecap # 15 there lay the phone, 2″ down in the sand, no worse for the wear and going home. It’s always darkest before the Dawn and this was going to be a beautiful day !

!

Through serendipity the owner had located me through a newspaper article on a previous ring find I had made. She had lost her wedding ring at Rio Del Mar  beach 2-1/2 months prior and had already given it up as gone for good. While sitting in the orthodontist’s office she happened to catch a glimpse of the article and decided there was nothing to lose so she gave me a call. Coincidentally this was also the day of their 20th wedding anniversary. We met at the beach on Thursday morning and she guided me to the spot where she thought they had been, to the best of her recollection. Memories can be faulty, especially after time passes so I understood the spot was only the general  area and I had to be prepared for anything. A lot can happen in that length of time plus the characteristics of the ring meant it was not going to be an easy signal to spot, I was geared up for a long day. I had decided to go with a smaller coil on my detector since the characteristics of the ring would make it easier to be “seen” by this coil as opposed to a bigger one. I only hoped the ring hadn’t gone too deep, it was a calculated gamble. After 4 hours I had searched approx. 10-11,000 sq. ft. and had more than covered the initially estimated possible area. I was able to move efficiently and cover a good amount of ground due to the relatively low amount of trash at this beach. The critical factor that would prove key in the end. Searching for a lost item is as much an exercise in control of your mind as much as it is your machine, focus is essential every moment and mine was starting to waver. Was the ring in this area ? Had the ring gone too deep ? Had it already been found ? These questions we’re running through my head as well as the realization that I was running out of time before I’d have to head to work. In the 4th quarter I got a clean, solid signal. I was expecting something a little different for this ring so I wasn’t thinking much as I dug my scoop into the sand and sifted other than this may be the last signal I dig today. Glancing down I saw, gleaming brightly amid the sticks and feathers, a beautiful 18K sculpted and diamond inlayed gold ring. That moment of realization is an incredible feeling because you know right then that you’re going to be reuniting the item with the owner and give them a day they’ll always remember. I was a day late with my 20th anniversary “gift” for the really nice couple but it was received warmly. The wife gave me a personally handwritten note that read ” . . . thank you for finding my special ring”. I’ll keep that in my heirlooms for my grandkids and theirs.

I found the e-mail on my computer Sunday evening. A newly married couple had lost a wedding band in the surf line at the Capitola main beach on Saturday. They were devastated and desperately wanted to recover the husband’s ring. As fate would have it I had also had some misfortune on Saturday and was nursing a cracked wrist and a separated ribs from slamming on my skateboard. I was still too sore to give it a shot but I was hoping to be able to try on Tuesday. After analyzing the tides and swell I knew a dawn patrol search would be the most optimum time so I was down at the Capitola main beach at first light. The swell was small but the ring had been lost near the jetty where the swell tends to focus. Since I was still very sore and stiff I was unable to stretch on a wetsuit so I stepped into the chilly Pacific in board shorts, booties and a beanie. I had my White’s Dual Field P.I. detector which is made specifically for this kind of search, that being said anyone who’s ever searched right in the shore break knows that it is exponentially more difficult than on dry land. I was giving it my best try but digging up heavy piles of wet sand in my scoop was taking a heavy toll on my injured wrist and shoulder. An hour and a half into the search I was running low on time and the pain was also pushing me to stop. The couple had been married for just over three weeks and I knew I could very well be their only hope so I decided to continue till I either found it or was forced to leave by the notorious Capitola police gestapo. Helping the newlyweds get their marriage off on a good start was all I was thinking as I pressed on. Just about two hours into the search a faint signal came through. After scooping the sand two times the signal was still in the hole but getting stronger, an indication I may be on the right trail. On the third scoop my detector indicated the object was now out of the hole and in the scoop. I flushed the sand out with the receding waves and was stunned to look down into the scoop to see the largest gold band I’d ever seen . . I was speechless. The ring had already burrowed down approx. 8″ into the sand. This was an enormously satisfying find because of all the factors combining to make it a tough challenge. Hard work and perseverance payed off but in all honesty there’s always a bit of luck involved. This time it was on my side.

 

An urgent, distressed phone call at work and an early a.m. wake up found me beating the dawn down to the boardwalk beach. A young lady had  lost a very valuable and sentimental necklace there the previous day. She lived 2-1/2 hours away from the beach and had only noticed it missing shortly before arriving back home. Since time is of the essence and meeting at the beach would not be possible I had to go on her description of the possible location over the phone . . never the best option but that’s what I had to work with as the sun rose over the river mouth and boardwalk. The hunt covered 4 hours and approx. 7000 sq. ft. but in the end, no success. The necklace was not in the area described but I decided to contact the owner again to see if there was anything else that may help to determine if another search was warranted or if it was time to call it. As luck would have it the owner remembered a photo that was taken that day and forwarded it to me. Quite by luck, the picture showed landmarks that gave me clear reference points to determine where she had been on the beach. After analyzing the photo I determined that I may have just missed the area by a small margin so I decided to make another sleep challenged assault the following morning. When an owner puts their full trust and hopes in you you want nothing more than to fulfill that. I wanted very badly to reunite this young woman with her treasure and I wasn’t giving up until all options were exhausted. The heirloom was on it’s third generation and I was determined that it would not be the last. Just prior to leaving I made a last second decision to replace the coil on my detector with a smaller one . . a decision that would prove fateful. I was told that the cross pendant had diamonds set in sterling silver, intuition and experience told me that diamonds are usually set in gold or platinum which would give a much smaller, weaker signal which a smaller coil would do better to pick up. Still dark, I determined my spot and began the hunt. An hour in I got a faint, rough, dirty signal on my detector that would almost always prove to be garbage . . all indications were that the detector was “seeing’ a small piece of foil or maybe even a nail, whatever it was it was not very conductive and it sounded small. I hesitated momentarily as this is a very popular beach and trash is all too common but since the stakes were so high I knew I had to check it out. I scraped gently at the sand and suddenly a short length of silver colored chain sat on the surface. I kneeled down, uncovered and gently pulled at the chain when the beautiful diamond encrusted cross popped out and sparkled in the early morning light ! I had ended the previous days hunt about 6-8′ from where it lay. The smaller coil barely registered the object, I’m afraid to think what might’ve happened had I stayed with the larger coil. In the end all that matters is the heirloom cross was going home and, with a little luck would get a chance to meet the 4th generation.

After an early a.m. wake-up call and a stunning 1-1/2 hour drive up the coast I arrived in Moss Beach and met Tom, the owner of the lost wedding band. He had been renovating the home located 1/2 block from sheer cliffs overlooking the ocean. After speaking with him I concluded that his information was very good and reliable and that the ring most likely was in the area he thought it was. It is real easy to fall into the trap of assuming a lost item will be close to exactly where it was last seen but experience has proven otherwise. The yard was approximately 500-700 sq. ft. and it could possibly have ended up just about anywhere when it flew off of his finger. A meticulous search of a yard that size could take several hours or more. That being said I set up my detector and began my search in the corner of the yard closest to where it was lost. I was less than 30 seconds into the search when I recieved my first signal and a VDI reading of 45 on my screen. Now, knowing I was searching for a gold band, I was semi-certain that this wasn’t the ring as most gold bands I’ve scanned read in the 20’s to 30’s but when your on a ring hunt you check every signal. I pulled at the low ground cover and there, just beneath it lay a beautiful, huge gold nugget style band ! Maybe it was karmic payback for the wallet I found and returned the night before, maybe it was skill or maybe just dumb luck but neither of us was asking questions when that gold glint caught the light. Tom said his wife was going to be ecstatic, he’s had that ring their entire 40 year marriage . . . now it can travel with them for the next 40.