Gold Wedding Ring Lost, Found, and Returned at Clearwater Beach, Florida
On Friday, October 9, 2015, my wife and I along with our brother and sister-in-law were visiting Clearwater Beach in Clearwater, Florida. We were vacationing from New York and wanted to check out a Florida Beach while we were in Florida! We chose a spot on the beach and decided to take a dip in the water, not realizing the whirlwind of an experience we would have that day. We were wading and paddling through and soaking in the sun at Clearwater Beach. It was an incredibly nice beach and an experience that we didn’t have in NY. I had told my wife to hold onto HER rings while she was in the water as I thought my own ring was feeling a little loose that morning. I mean…it was only 3½ months since we were married, I can’t be losing my ring at this time right?
While we were in the water, my wife, looking at her hand said “Oh, thank God I still have my rings on my finger. I’ll keep my fingers curled to keep it from falling.” A split second later, I find myself saying “Oh shoooot! My ring’s gone.” I was smiling and serious at the same time. I think it was shock. My wife said “you’re kidding right?” And I showed her my hand full of five naked fingers. It was only 3 months and my ring was lost in the vastness of the Florida waters. I didn’t panic, thinking that any sign of panic would cause chaos and thoughts of sinking even more into the doghouse I thought I could be in. I kept thinking to myself that the more calm I would be the more likely I wouldn’t give up in finding my lost ring. I was holding onto a sliver of hope thinking that “hey… it was just a ring.” Our time in Florida was great but this would probably change all that in a split second.
But more importantly, this ring was incredibly significant. I mean, it was my wedding ring!! I remember the vow I made on the wedding day to my wife saying that I would give this ring to her as a sign of our constant faith and abiding love. This ring was blessed by priests and an important and close friend, a Bishop of the church who unfortunately passed away the morning after our wedding. There was deep significance behind the wedding rings that were blessed on our wedding day in June 2015. Surely, it wouldn’t be the same to get another replacement ring!
My wife and our brother and sister-in-law all searched extensively in the water for two hours searching in sections and combing the beach shores and asking people in the water to keep an eye out for a metal wedding ring! We couldn’t believe how nice the people at the Clearwater Beach were, just helping us look for this ring on their own time. We weren’t used to this kind gesture and were overwhelmed with their generosity.
We were about to give up and go home since we had a previous engagement that we had committed to and our family in Seffner, Florida was waiting for us. It was just then we saw someone with something that could help us at the very moment. Someone with a METAL DETECTOR! Aaron was casually walking along the shore line with his device when we approached him saying that we lost our wedding ring. When he asked us where we lost it, we told him it was somewhere in the water, not knowing that the metal detector could be used underwater. He didn’t even hesitate and threw down his belongings into the sand and jumped into the water to continue our search. We were accompanied by another gentlemen casually wading in the water who was incredibly generous in helping us. We must have searched for another hour in the same area. We were coming close, hearing beeping sounds on the detector that turned out to be a dime and some possible mineral in the sand.
After an hour or so, we told Aaron that we had to leave since our family was calling us. We gave Aaron our phone number and told him to call us if he found anything. His efforts were amazing. He didn’t give up. He kept assuring us that he would find this ring. We left Clearwater beach all bummed out that I had lost something pretty important and significant. We were even more bummed as we prepared for bed that night and realized it was a lost cause as the ring wasn’t found before the end of the day.
On Saturday, October 10, 2015, I got a call from Aaron who told me that he and a group of members from Suncoast Research and Recovery Club (SRARC) went out on Saturday morning with their metal detectors to locate this missing ring. He texted me the number of Mike Miller from SRARC who would provide details on getting the ring to us. I was beyond ecstatic. At a loss of words too. I called Mike and we talked about the ring and the significance of it and the efforts it took for his team to recover the ring. From the group of members who used their metal detectors in the water to find this ring to pinpoint the location of where this ring could be, I was amazed that random strangers would work tirelessly to help me! I told Mike that we were leaving for NY and couldn’t meet up personally since we were an hour away and at another function and mailing the ring to my address in NY was the best option.
We arrived back in NY from Florida and I opened the USPS package to find my missing ring!! This was UNBELIEVABLE and felt like a dream. I thought I had lost the ring for good in Florida and here it was back on my hand in NY.
As for me, I learned a few things with this experience. 1. To be a little bit more careful. 2. To realize and trust that there are good people all around you helping you. My wife and I had recently been fighting over many things, it was only 3½ months and we were honestly struggling with many things in our relationship this early into the marriage. Honestly, losing the ring that day felt symbolic of how our relationship was going. Tossed into an ocean, lost in the sea without any hope or survival.
And being able to find the ring was symbolic of how much a journey of being married is and will be. There will be people (people you never expect to be pouring into the relationship) who will help you find your bearings and lead you into the right path. And this experience made me realize that life will take many turns and you’ll lose many things, but having hope and faith in people to help you will make a world of difference.
We are so grateful for incredible people in Florida who took time to help find my missing wedding ring. They were patient and tireless in their efforts making this rescue mission of my ring as if it was their own! From Aaron who had just moved down to Florida from Philadelphia on a work assignment who was a casually just combing the beach to Mike Miller and the SRARC team who worked together to find the missing ring….they found our treasure.
A special thanks to the SRARC team, Mike Miller, Stan Flack, Bill Gallant, and Mark Sillence, who took the time to make it a mission to find my wedding ring. We are incredibly grateful to you. Your time and efforts to help people find what was once lost. We remember your efforts. You have brought a smile back onto my face and will be bringing smiles to many others who will need your help one day. Keep searching my friends, your treasure awaits! — good things will come to you and yours!
The Ring Finders Metal Detecting Service-Tampa Bay Area
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The Ring Finders Metal Detecting Service in the Tampa area can help locate you lost engagement ring, wedding ring, favorite piece of jewelry, family heirloom, or other important personal item.
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3 Replies to “Gold Wedding Ring Lost, Found, and Returned at Clearwater Beach, Florida”
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What an awesome story and a great recovery SRARC!!!!
It’s always the little things in life that make us smile. Happy to be involved with this wonderful story.Hunt on my friends your treasure awaits you.
Great Story. Love the rings.