Steve Thomas, Author at The Ring Finders | Page 3 of 6

Lost Gold Wedding Band Honeymoon Island, Florida…Found!!!

  • from Dunedin (Florida, United States)
Contact:


Steve Thomas

Dunedin Ring Finder   lostringdunedin.com

“It’s only lost until I find it!”

Lost a ring or other metal valuable at the beach or in a grassy or sandy area? Jewelry slip off of you while working outside, playing with the dog or swimming? Please contact me ASAP at (843) 995-4719 or @dunedinringfinder. I offer a FREE metal detecting service, reward optional but appreciated upon recovery!

My wife and I recently were in Texas for about six weeks for the birth of our second grandson. I received several messages from individuals who had lost jewelry in the water at Honeymoon Island. Because I knew I would not be returning for several more weeks, I needed to call upon some experienced, trustworthy detectorists to conduct searches for these lost items as soon as possible and before they were found by someone who would not return them.

Jim contacted me to say that he had lost his white and yellow gold wedding band in shallow water at Pet Beach, Honeymoon Island State Park. Jim and his wife BJ were enjoying the day and the water but Jim had slipped on the rocks and shells in calf deep water and had fallen to his hands, losing his ring in the process. Because I was still in Texas, I messaged the Pinellas County Florida Ring Recovery group and over the course of the next few days several detectorists (Scott, Brenda, and Jason) searched for the ring. Jim had met Scott on site and showed him where he thought he lost the ring but the ring could not be found. Because Jim was so certain of where he had lost the ring, we all assumed that the ring had been found by another detectorist.

I returned from Texas a few days later and Jim reached out to me and asked if I could meet him at the beach for one last search. I agreed and arrived at the loss location about twenty minutes before he did. I turned on my Minelab Equinox 900 and began a grid search of the wet sand walking north and after a few minutes hit a target that I thought was in the rusty beer cap range. As I began to dig, some curious beach goers came up to see what I was doing. With my second scoop out popped Jim’s ring! I was shocked that it was still there after several weeks although it was a little further north and a little closer to shore than I thought it would be. The beach goers were very excited after I told them the story and they agreed to sit quietly and watch me surprise Jim when he arrived. Jim walked up to me a few minutes later and after introductions I asked him to point out to me where he thought he had lost his ring. Jim pointed in the general direction of the hole I had just pulled the ring from! I took Jim’s ring out of my pocket and asked him if this is what it looked like. Jim was initially speechless and the beach goers burst into applause.

Thanks to my fellow detectorists from Pinellas County Florida Ring Recovery for assisting with the search. And thanks to Jim for the generous reward and for trusting the Dunedin Ring Finder to find your ring. I was so blessed to have found it!

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Lost Gold Pendant Necklace and Gold Wedding Band, Honeymoon Island, Fl….Found!!!

  • from Dunedin (Florida, United States)
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Steve Thomas

Dunedin Ring Finder   lostringdunedin.com

Lost a ring or other metal valuable at the beach or in a grassy or sandy area? Jewelry slip off of you while working outside, playing with the dog or swimming? Please contact me ASAP at (843) 995-4719 or @dunedinringfinder. I offer a FREE metal detecting service, reward optional but appreciated upon recovery!

My wife and I recently were in Texas for about six weeks for the birth of our second grandson. I received several messages from individuals who had lost jewelry in the water at Honeymoon Island. Because I knew I would not be returning for several more weeks, I needed to call upon some experienced, trustworthy detectorists to conduct searches for these lost items as soon as possible and before they were found by someone who would not return them.

Adriacely contacted me to say that her husband Wil had lost a gold necklace with a large gold pendant given to him by his grandfather. Mitchell messaged that he had felt his white gold wedding ring slip off of his hand while he was paddleboarding. Tampa Ring Finder Jason Connolly and Scott Carlson of Pinellas County Florida Ring Recovery agreed to search for both items. After water searches by both, Scott (who had previously found and returned another necklace I had searched for) recovered and returned Wil’s gold necklace and Jason was able to find Mitchell’s wedding ring!

Adriacely and Wil, so very happy that Scott was able to find your necklace. Mitchell, it’s nice to see that wedding band back on your finger courtesy of Jason’s recovery efforts. Scott and Jason, thank you for your outstanding work done in these difficult water recoveries. And thank you for trusting the Dunedin Ring Finder to help you find your lost jewelry!

 

 

 

 

 

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Lost Gold Ring in Lake Padgette, Fl., Found by Tampa Ring Finder Jason Connolly!!!

  • from Dunedin (Florida, United States)
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My wife and I recently spent about six weeks in Texas for the birth of our second grandson. While there, I received a several messages from individuals who had lost jewelry in my area of Dunedin, Florida so I began to coordinate recovery efforts with experienced and trustworthy detectorists back home. I also was able to join a Texas A&M lost ring page and tried to do what I could to help reunite grads with their lost rings including three detecting searches in Texas as well as helping a grad find his ring that was for sale in a Houston pawn shop!

Jennifer contacted me from the Land o’ Lakes area and said that her fiancé had lost his gold ring in the edge of a lake while trying to skip a rock across the lake surface. His mother had given him the ring so it had a great deal of sentimental value. Jennifer had tried using her son’s metal detector to find the ring in the water but had no luck. I told Jennifer that I was out of town for a few more weeks but that I would contact Jason Connolly, the Tampa Ring Finder to coordinate a search for her as the lake was in his “territory” anyway. Jason met Jennifer on site and after about a 45 minute search was able to recover the ring in thigh deep water and return the ring to her!

Congratulations to Jennifer and to Jason for a job well done! Thank you to Jennifer for trusting the Dunedin Ring Finder to help you find your fiancé’s precious ring!

 

 

 

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Versace Watch Lost at Sunset Beach, Tarpon Springs, Fl…Found!!!

  • from Dunedin (Florida, United States)
Contact:


Steve Thomas

Dunedin Ring Finder   lostringdunedin.com

Lost a ring or other metal valuable at the beach or in a grassy or sandy area? Jewelry slip off of you while working outside, playing with the dog or swimming? Please contact me ASAP at (843) 995-4719 or @dunedinringfinder. I offer a FREE metal detecting service, reward optional but appreciated upon recovery!

My wife and I were in Texas for our grandson’s second birthday when I noticed that someone named Heather had posted on social media that her son Jacob had lost his Versace watch at Sunset Beach in Tarpon Springs while playing volleyball with his family. At about the same time, another person had posted that her husband had lost his wedding ring at the same beach but they subsequently found it in the container that held their children’s sand toys.

I reached out to Heather and told her that I would be happy to search for the watch when I returned if it had not already been found. A few days later, I returned to Florida and Heather told me that the watch which was not only expensive but had a great deal of sentimental value had not been found. Jacob had taken off the watch and put it in his pocket while playing volleyball and the family had searched the volleyball court by hand as well as thoroughly searched the house and the car over the next several days. By that time, I was concerned that either the watch had been picked up by someone and not turned into park personnel or discovered by another metal detectorist. I set up a search at Sunset Beach with Heather the following morning. When I arrived, there was already another metal detectorist working another part of the beach and I asked him if he had searched the volleyball court yet and he said that he had not. Even though Heather had not arrived yet I began grid searching the sand court. I finished one side without hitting any targets, ducked under the net and began searching the other side. At a place where it looked like it might be a serving area on the court I received my first target signal on the search so I reached down with my gloved hand to dig away some of the sand and out popped a Versace watch! Heather had not yet told anyone what kind of watch was lost and I didn’t have a picture of it but of course I assumed that I had found what I was looking for! I was very surprised that the beautiful watch was still there because that beach area is heavily detected. I called Heather with the good news and at the same time texted her a few photos. We met later for the return and obviously Heather and Jacob were thrilled to have his watch back on his wrist!

Heather, thank you for trusting the Dunedin Ring Finder to find and return Jacob’s watch and thank you for the very generous reward!

 

 

 

 

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Wedding Rings Lost Four Months in Palm Harbor, Fl. Yard…Found!!!

  • from Dunedin (Florida, United States)
Contact:


Steve Thomas

Dunedin Ring Finder

Lost a ring or other metal valuable at the beach or in a grassy or sandy area? Jewelry slip off of you while working outside, playing with the dog or swimming? Please call me ASAP at (843) 995-4719. I offer a FREE metal detecting service, reward optional but appreciated upon recovery!

One day in early November 2023, Michelle realized that both her engagement and wedding rings were missing from her hand. Michelle had recently done some gardening and thought that she must have lost them as she was pulling weeds in the thick liriope or monkey grass. At the same time, Michelle and her husband John had recently returned from a trip to the mountains of North Carolina so there was a possibility she had lost them where they stayed. Michelle also works as a dental hygienist and there was a possibility that she could have lost her rings at the office. Michelle and John thoroughly searched everywhere she thought she may have lost her rings and contacted the rental company of the vacation house in North Carolina but they could not find them. Michelle then reached out for help on social media and I responded to her. As it turns out, Michelle has her hair done at the same place where my wife and I go for hair cuts so several people who work there recommended me. A few days later, I searched Michelle and John’s front yard thoroughly with my Nox 900, especially the area with the tall, thick liriope grass including probing the grass with my hand held pinpointer but I was unable to find the rings. Michelle agreed to contact me again in several months after she cut the grass back which she did in early March. I went back over and searched the grass again but it was still too thick to push my detector coil as far as I needed to so I probed the grass with two pinpointers including my new Nokta AccuPoint pinpointer. After about 30 minutes of searching in several clumps of the thick grass, the Nokta “beeped” a contact signal and I pushed the grass aside to reveal the beautiful engagement ring! Michelle was at work and John had just walked into the house so I shouted for John who quickly came back out. I pushed the grass aside and John stared at the ring with a look of disbelief and we both began to celebrate. Then I remembered I still needed to find the wedding band and I got another signal just a few inches from the first ring, pushed the grass aside and there was the second ring! After I left, John texted photos of the rings to Michelle who was still at work and the entire office was overjoyed with the recovery.

Michelle and John, thank you for trusting the Dunedin Ring Finder to find and return the precious wedding rings and thank you for the generous reward!

 

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Lost Designer Prescription Sunglasses, Honeymoon Island State Park, Dunedin, Fl….Found!!!

  • from Dunedin (Florida, United States)
Contact:

 


Steve Thomas

Dunedin Ring Finder

Lost a ring or other metal valuable at the beach or in a grassy or sandy area? Jewelry slip off of you while working outside, playing with the dog or swimming? Please call me ASAP at (843) 995-4719. I offer a free metal detecting service, reward optional but appreciated upon recovery!

Julie was enjoying the warm waters of Honeymoon Island State Park when a wave took her Cocoa Mint designer prescription sunglasses off her face. She searched for awhile in the waist deep water for her glasses but was unable to locate them. Julie then posted on one of the local social media groups called Dunedin Discussions to see if anyone had found the glasses and I saw her post and reached out to her. We set up a search for the next day.

I met Julie on the beach the next day and she directed me to the area where she lost her sunglasses. I began in waist deep water and worked my way in towards the shore and up to the wet sand with my detector. After about a 1 1/2 hour search including searching the dry sand up to where Julie was sitting on the beach, I was unable to locate her glasses. Julie had to leave the beach to meet up with her family so I told her I would continue the search. I returned to the water and searched about an hour more, expanding the search area in all directions from my initial search location. I then came out of the water in order to head home for a break and realized that my hand held detecting pinpointer was missing. I had inadvertently left it in my pocket when doing the sand search and it probably came out when I got back in the water. Now I was looking for two items instead of one! I returned once again to the water and after searching briefly, I found Julie’s sunglasses and they were undamaged! I immediately  contacted her and sent her a photo of her recovered glasses. Needless to say, she was extremely happy and I returned them to her about an hour later. Unfortunately I never recovered my pinpointer but it’s all good!

Julie, it was a pleasure meeting you and being able to return your sunglasses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Lost 18K Gold and Diamond Cross Necklace, Indian Rocks Beach, Fl….Found and Returned A Year Later!!!

  • from Dunedin (Florida, United States)
Contact:

 


Steve Thomas

Dunedin Ring Finder

Lost a ring or other metal valuable at the beach or in a grassy or sandy area? Jewelry slip off of you while working outside, playing with the dog or swimming? Please call me ASAP at (843) 995-4719. I offer a free metal detecting service, reward optional but appreciated upon recovery!

Connor was riding some waves with friends at Indian Rocks Beach in early June of last year. While out in the rough waters that day, he lost his 18K gold necklace given to him by his father along with a gold cross studded with diamonds that had been added to the necklace. Connor and his mother Cathy found me through social media and asked me if I could help them find the necklace as they had been unable to find someone closer to help. Even though that is outside my normal service area, I agreed to coordinate a search.

I arrived at the scene later that same day and entered the water along with Connor and a friend of his. I searched for several hours in the rough water up to my neck with Connor and his friend assisting in scooping targets but I was unsuccessful. I returned the next day and searched again in the rough water but again no necklace. A few days later, I returned once again along with my metal detecting buddy Jim and we hunted for a few hours, expanding my original search area each time. About 10 days later, still in June of 2022, Jim and I searched again for a few hours to no avail. Over the course of the four searches, Jim and I found plenty of beer caps, pull tabs, a few coins and fishing weights, even some “junk” jewelry but not the big gold target we were looking for. It was always disappointing to update Connor’s mom Cathy with the bad news. In July and August, I tried to set up a search with an excellent water detectorist friend named Shawn who could also scuba search but we were never able to match schedules. Jim and I went back to Indian Rocks Beach for one last search in early October but once again we were unsuccessful. By that time and after five searches, I assumed that we were not looking in the correct area for the necklace or it had moved from the search area. It was also possible that we had just not passed our detectors close enough to the target or even that some other detectorist had found it but I thought that was much less likely because of how much time we had spent in the water.

Fast forward to July of 2023. Out of the blue, Cathy sent me a card telling me once again how much she appreciated what I and my fellow Ring Finders do to help people find their lost jewelry. Then here’s where the story really gets interesting. Two months later, in early September, I was at Honeymoon Island with my wife, daughter and grandson when I noticed someone metal detecting. I went up to him to introduce myself and realized that I was speaking to a fellow detectorist named Scott who I only knew through some texts we had exchanged as he and I and another detectorist named Brenda were trying to help someone find their lost wedding band at Honeymoon Island a number of months back. As Scott and I spoke, he told me that he had only been detecting about a year and a half and his best find had been a gold necklace with a cross at Indian Rock Beach last August (2022). I was stunned! I told him that I was searching for something like that last summer and found the photo on my phone that showed Connor wearing his necklace and said “does it look like this”? Scott said “that’s exactly what I found” and later showed me a photo taken the day he found it. We then confirmed that it was in the same area Jim and I had searched five times last year! Scott told me that he had sold the cross to a friend of his named Shannon who had moved out of the area but still had the necklace. Scott later asked me for Cathy and Connor’s contact info and I knew then that he was going to make every effort to get the cross back from Shannon and return the necklace. About a week and a half later and after Shannon sold the cross back to Scott so the entire necklace could be returned to Connor, the necklace was back on a happy Connor’s neck! He had already purchased a replacement but he promised to wear it as an every day and save the one given to him by his father for special occasions!

Cathy and Connor, thank you for trusting me to search for Connor’s necklace and your show of appreciation. Thanks to Shannon for being willing to make sure the cross was returned to its owner. And Scott, a huge thanks to you for having the heart of a Ring Finder and for being led to do the right thing, returning your best find! I have a feeling you will be rewarded with many great finds in your future! And I’m extremely thankful for the Divine intervention that led Scott and me to meet that day on Honeymoon Island.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Lost Tungsten Carbide Wedding Band Honeymoon Island, Dunedin Fl…Found!!!

  • from Dunedin (Florida, United States)
Contact:

 

Steve Thomas

Dunedin Ring Finder

Lost a ring or other metal valuable at the beach or in a grassy or sandy area? Jewelry slip off of you while working outside, playing with the dog or swimming? Please call me ASAP at (843) 995-4719. I offer a free metal detecting service, reward optional but appreciated upon recovery!

Erin and her husband Michael were enjoying some beach time with family on the Dog Beach portion of Honeymoon Island State Park. Michael was playing with the children in about knee deep water when he felt his heavy tungsten carbide wedding band slip off of his finger into the water. Despite a frantic effort by all present to find the ring searching in the water by hand, it could not be found.

Unfortunately as they were vacationing in the Tampa area and staying with family, Erin and Michael had to return to their home in Texas several days later without Michael’s wedding band. After Erin returned home, she began seeking help to find her husband’s ring on local social media pages including one called Honeymoon Island Sandbar Chasers where several people recommended me.

After I was able to connect with Erin, I discovered that Michael had lost his ring about fours days before near high tide in knee deep water which means it would just be in wet sand at low tide. I was concerned that the ring might be found by another detectorist under those conditions so I headed to the beach at low tide the following morning. Erin had texted me a pin drop on a Google map as well as a description of the loss location which included several visual landmarks but Erin’s step mom who was with the family at the beach and who lives in the area was not able to assist me that day. I wanted to recover the ring with one search because beginning the next day I was going to be out of town for two weeks.

After I reviewed the map and noted landmarks at the site, I decided to begin my search in knee deep water and grid about 50 yards to the north and south of the beginning point. After working the water up to the wet sand for several hours and finding several bottle caps and pull tabs, I detected a target with a strong signal that I felt like could be just what I was looking for. I dug a few inches down with my scoop and out popped Michael’s wedding ring! I sent some photos to Erin who couldn’t believe how quickly I had recovered the ring especially with no one present to point out the precise location. Later that day I met up with Erin’s step mom to return the ring so she could mail it to Erin. As soon as I receive a photo of Michael with the ring back on his finger, I will edit this post. In the meantime, my smile will have to do!

Erin and Michael, thank you for trusting the Dunedin Ring Finder to find and return Michael’s wedding ring!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Lost Wedding Ring Caladesi Island, Dunedin, Fl….Found!!

  • from Dunedin (Florida, United States)
Contact:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve Thomas

Dunedin Ring Finder

Lost a ring or other metal valuable at the beach or in a grassy or sandy area? Jewelry slip off of you while working outside, playing with the dog or swimming? Please call me ASAP at (843) 995-4719. I offer a free metal detecting service, reward optional but appreciated upon recovery!

Michelle and her husband Justin were visiting beautiful Caladesi Island beach for the day. Michelle took off her beautiful wedding/engagement ring to apply sun screen and then got into the water. After a few minutes in the warm waters of the Gulf, Michelle realized that her ring was no longer on her finger! She quickly began a frantic search, first by looking around in the clear water where she stood and then by searching the area around where they had set up their beach chairs in the sand. Soon the beach chair and umbrella vendor Chris came over to see what was going on and to assist in the search. Michelle could not remember if she had placed the ring back on her finger after applying sunscreen so it could have fallen into the sand off of her chair or have been lost in the water.

I had just recovered another wedding ring on Caladesi Island about a week before and had left my contact info with Chris so he texted me about this ring loss. Chris gave me Michelle and Justin’s contact info as they were staying at Clearwater Beach and told me he had placed cones around the area of sand where their chairs were placed. I took the ferry over to Caladesi the next morning and after arriving at the beach, Chris showed me the area of sand to search and also the area of water where Michelle may have lost the ring about waist deep. The search in the sand revealed only a couple of bottle caps and another ring that was not close to the picture of Michelle’s ring she had sent me. Then I began my water search sweeping my detector back and forth from the dry sand to the wet sand and then to the point where Michelle entered the water. I worked out to a small sand bar where Michelle had told me was her furthest point in the water and then back to shore and then back out in a grid pattern. After being in the water only about 2o minutes,  I hit a target on the side of the sand bar that my detector told me could possibly be the gold and diamond ring I was searching for. After a couple of attempts I managed to scoop Michelle’s precious ring out of the water! This was the second ring I had recovered in about a week’s time without the owner present! I texted a photo to Michelle and said “Is this it”? Obviously she was ecstatic and we then set up a time and location later in the afternoon so I could return the ring and Michelle and Justin could resume their vacation much happier than they were before!

I was very fortunate and very blessed to have found the ring in only about 20 minutes. Some searches like this can last for hours and I may never be able to recover what I’m searching for.

Michelle and Justin, thank you for trusting me to find Michelle’s ring and thank you for the generous reward! And thanks to Chris for the referral and pointing me in the right direction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Lost Wedding Ring Caladesi Island, Dunedin, Fl….Found!!!

  • from Dunedin (Florida, United States)
Contact:

Steve Thomas

Dunedin Ring Finder

Lost a ring or other metal valuable at the beach or in a grassy or sandy area? Jewelry slip off of you while working outside, playing with the dog or swimming? Please call me ASAP at (843) 995-4719. I offer a free metal detecting service, reward optional but appreciated upon recovery!

Jessica and her husband Javier were enjoying the day riding jet skis around Honeymoon and Caladesi Islands. They beached on the north end of Caladesi and while Javier was opening a compartment at the rear of his jet ski his beautiful 14k hammered gold wedding band slipped off of his finger into the Gulf of Mexico.

Jessica found me through a Google search and texted me the story including a photo of the ring and a general map of the loss area. Fortunately the ring was lost in only waist deep water an hour or two before low tide so I wanted to plan a search for the same tide time the next day. Initially, Jessica and Javier weren’t sure if they could return the next day but it was important that they be there to narrow down the search area so they were able to work it out.

To get to the loss location, I had to ride twenty minutes on a ferry from Honeymoon to Caladesi, walk about ten minutes from the ferry to the beach, and then walk about 1 1/2 miles to the north end of the island with my equipment. Jessica and Javier had arrived on a jet ski before I arrived but left to pick up an anchor at a nearby marina. They texted me to let me know to look for a green tracker boat and a green jet ski as markers for where the ring was lost if I wanted to begin the search before their return so I began my search in the water. After only about fifteen minutes of searching with my Nox 600 detector, I came across a strong signal with a 21 on the VDI. After several scoops into the mud I was able to bring up Javier’s ring! Jessica and Javier arrived about ten minutes later and I walked up to Javier and asked him if he was ready to begin the search. Before he could answer, I held up his ring and said “is this what I’m looking for?” I thought he was going to fall off the jet ski! Jessica said to him “ I told you we ought to try this before you bought a new one!” After talking for a few minutes and taking a few photos with Javier texting family and friends about the ring find, Jessica and Javier sped happily away.

Jessica and Javier, thank you for trusting me to find and return Javier’s wedding ring and thank you for the generous reward!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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