On Tuesday afternoon (January 18th, 2022), I was driving on I-65 north traveling home to Huntsville, Alabama. I had just finished a nice long weekend getaway at Panama City Beach, Florida. I was visiting my parents at a condo they were renting and went metal detecting with my dad.
I was towards the end of my 6-hour trip back and had just passed the Birmingham area when I received a text message from Daniel. I had my car read the message and discovered that Daniel had lost his Tungsten wedding band somewhere in his gravel driveway in Bessemer, AL. Perfect timing! I was literally 40 minutes from his location and had all of my metal detecting gear in my car. Had I been in Huntsville, it would’ve added an extra hour to my travel time. I immediately called Daniel, told him where I was, and asked if I could reroute to his location. He said absolutely! I got off at the next exit, back on I-65 (but now in the southbound lane), and was on my way to Bessemer!
I met Daniel at the end of his driveway. I didn’t want to pull in too far depending on where he lost his wedding band. Daniel had been working outside all morning. He explained that his driveway floods a lot and he was adding gravel to stop some of the flow until a permanent fix could be put in. He also cut up a tree. He wore gloves the entire time and knew he had his ring on, because he felt it vibrating on his finger when he was running the chainsaw. After finishing up that work, he took off his gloves while sitting in his truck. He got out and soon after noticed that his wedding band was missing. Daniel also mentioned that he recently lost a lot of weight, and the ring was fitting very loose. Plus, it was cold outside and his hands were wet, so perfect scenario for a ring to slid off.
I started searching where Daniel was laying the gravel in his driveway. I found a penny and some junk metal. There were a couple of iffy signals in about 6-12 inches of water. If necessary, I was going to come back at the very end of the search and check those targets with my sand scoop. I moved to the next location where Daniel was cutting up the tree. No ring. I then asked to search Daniel’s gloves and truck, because taking off the gloves would’ve been the most likely time that his ring would’ve come off. Still no ring.
I asked Daniel where he was parked when he took his gloves off and got out of his truck. I thought his wedding band might have landed in his lap and then rolled onto the ground when he got out. I started searching that area. I checked one signal with my pinpointer, but the target was beneath the surface. As I was standing up, I caught a glimpse of his silver Tungsten ring just a few inches away! I think I uncovered it when I swung my coil and knocked away some wet grass and leaves. I told Daniel that I had just spotted it. He caught a glimpse as well and was overcome with joy and relief! He was also very thankful for my assistance and quick response time. I have to say that these recoveries never get old, and they are the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done!
Daniel showed me a video of how bad his driveway floods. Based on that video, his ring could’ve easily washed away if it wasn’t found that day, making for an extremely difficult recovery. But I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. God is so good! I thank and praise Him for another successful ring recovery and safe trip home! I’m always happy to help and very blessed to be a member of The Ring Finders! Looking forward to the next adventure…
If you or someone you know has lost a ring, jewelry, or other metal item, please contact a member of The Ring Finders.
