Massive Platinum Wedding Ring lost off the dock on TIKI Island-Galveston, Texas recovered by Houston Metal Detecting Services (Members of The Ring Finders)
I was contacted by Mike a resident of TIKI Island -Galveston, Texas who was looking for help in recovering his platinum wedding ring lost off the dock behind his home. Mike reported following an unexpected water-related kayak incident, his ring slipped off his finger and landed in the water near the edge of the dock. Mike reported the water was about 4′ deep and the bottom had a somewhat muddy bottom. Mike stated he attempted to recover the ring with a homemade sift but was unsuccessful at recovering his ring. Mike said later that day a short internet search led him to The Ring Finders website, and he placed the call!
Mike said his wife had the ring made for him and he was extremely motivated about trying to recover this one-of-a-kind platinum wedding ring. Mike and I made arrangements to meet the following day to attempt a recovery of his lost ring.
Some days all things come together, this day was no exception, Mike’s ring was laying on the edge of the only hard pack material next to the dock, another foot out, and it would have possibly been unrecoverable due to the bottomless silt just off that ledge.
The Ring Finders Metal Detecting Service-Houston
Lost Something Important? We can HELP!
The Ring Finders Metal Detecting Service in Houston can locate your lost engagement ring, wedding ring, favorite piece of jewelry, family heirloom, or another important personal item.
We can search virtually any location, some of the most common are parks, beaches, creeks, and even your own backyard.
Jeff contacted me about a ring that was lost in their front yard while his wife was doing some landscaping. She wasn’t quite sure where it was lost. The ring had been loose on her finger for awhile and it could have come off anywhere in their yard, flowerbeds, or wooded area near the house where she was tossing yard debris.
I arrived and began my search. After a couple of hours thoroughly checking the places she thought it might be, I was beginning to run out of time and thought I may need to come back again for a second search. One last search in the corner flower bed turned up her gorgeous diamond ring.
It was great getting to meet such a lovely couple and I’m so happy I was able to bring a smile to their faces. Congratulations on your upcoming anniversary!
I met my customer . he said that he was waving his hand to one of his friends and his ring flew off. he was saying that it flew about 20 feet. but after searching for a while there I asked more questions. I found that it must not have gone that far. so I reexamined the area closer. I was only getting a target that sounded like a penny. but guess what after checking the target out .. it was his ring. he was very happy. and left me this beautiful testimonial.
Testimonial……………………………………………..
Waving to a friend, my wedding band flew off my hand. First time ever in 60 years the ring left my hand. Looked in the grass unsuccessfully .
Sent text to Craig Marten explaining my issue at 10:15 PM. He was at my home ready to search at 10:00 AM the next day.
10:45 AM he found my ring.
Very grateful of his quick response and successful result.
This hunt began late last night when I received a call from Lance who resides in Arlington, Virginia and was visiting friends on Oahu. While playing volleyball on the beach, Lance noticed his Brass Ganesha Medallion had fallen off but he wasn’t exactly sure when during the volleyball game it happened. Luckily he played in the same general area so the search grid was only about 5 yards by 10 yards in size. I wasn’t quite sure what numbers brass would ring up on the Nox but I figured this area of the beach is fairly clean so we dig it all. First target was an 8 but it was so small the target kept going through the netting of my scoop. Oh well! Not what I’m looking for. Next target was a 20-21 which is usually a Zincoln Cent but to my surprise there was Lance’s Brass Ganesha Medallion in the scoop. Elapsed search time 2 minutes. Another quick successful hunt. Lance by the way is a rapper and his newly released song is hitting the airwaves now. I’m a rock-n-roller so I wasn’t very enthused. But the song did have a catchy beat I’m sure the younger generation will crave for more. Aloha to Lance the Rapper!
This Ring Find began as my detecting buddy Terry & I were wrapping up our day hunting for a lost white gold wedding band in Naia Lagoon. We found a total of 4 Gold Rings but none were the one we were looking for. As I was heading to the shower a Gentleman and his wife asked if we found anything. I showed them my carabiner with the four Gold Rings attached. They both immediately said, “That’s my husband’s/my ring” as they pointed at the White Gold Ring my buddy Terry had found 4 hours earlier that morning in the lagoon. He said he could prove it as he had a picture on his phone with that ring on his finger. Sure enough he did and to be sure I asked him where in the lagoon he lost it and he pointed to the exact spot. There was no doubt in my mind it was his. As I looked towards the lagoon where he pointed there was my fellow ring finder Don exiting the water with his assistant that I don’t know. Don asked, “Did you find the ring?” and I held it up for him to see. Don had done a 5 hour hunt for the ring previously but the tide was super high and he wasn’t able to get to the spot without scuba gear. Terry found the ring at a super low tide in neck deep water. Don & I have collaborated on hunts in the past we were both just thrilled that the ring was back on the husband’s finger. We had a few laughs together and then I was asked to hunt for a just dropped Gold Cross you can see in the previous blog. I think it’s going to be a busy detecting Summer. Aloha to all involved and of course the happy couple who had their ring returned.
*** Dan and his wife live 60 miles from Dana Point, CA. Their favorite get a way place is Salt Creek Beach which is an Orange County, CA. Beach Park.
He called me asking for help to find his wife’s wedding ring. Most likely lost in the sand. He described it as a small size 3-1/2 white gold ring with small diamonds half way around the ring.
He said he could drive to the beach later that afternoon. I was ready to get on the road to begin the search a couple hours before he could meet me. We agreed that I could start the search earlier using a marked up Google map screen shot. At the beach, timing is number one priority. It’s also very important that someone can guide me to the general location. Most the time when people leave the area of the loss, it’s confusing to find the exact area.
As it worked out I had another call to take care of and I was still able to meet Dan at Salt Creek Beach later that afternoon. The beach goers we’re clearing out which makes it easier to properly grid search thoroughly. He showed me approximately where they had been. I started at the north end, working south. After an hour I was nearing the end of the site he gave me. He then said it could have been more to the south. That was a good move because I got a small white gold ring signal after three more passes. Amazing to see such a small ring in my scoop. These type rings can be missed by many detectors especially in the sand.
Dan was about losing hope but I got to see his big smile and excitement when he picked the ring out of the scoop. A great day at the beach.
I Found Old Cash Hidden Under Floor Boards in this Attic!
If grandpa grew up in the great depression, there are probably tales of hidden silver certificates somewhere in the house. DO NOT disregard these rumors of hidden loot! After years of failed attempts, this family grew tired of figuring out if a metal detector would work indoors and even hired a construction contractor to find the treasure supposedly hidden under the floor. The family eventually found me online and hired me to figure out where grandpa hid his money.
When I arrived, we began by touring the attic. The family members showed me where people have looked in the past and where a recently hired contractor pulled up the floorboards. I reopened some of the floors where the carpenter previously worked. Now I could better look at the floor joists and see any potential metal objects under the floorboards. Turning on my metal detector, I walked over to where light from the two windows intersected. The rumor was that a person could see the box through the floorboards when the light shined into the room. Naturally, I started in the middle of the floor, looking for cracks where light could shine through. As I swept and my metal detector just above the attic floor, I realized every signal I heard so far was directly underneath and damaged piece of the flooring. The damage was either claw marks from a hammer or split wood where someone recently pulled up the flooring. The damage told me that someone already looked there, so I didn’t waste much time in the center of the room. I did notice some loose floorboards, so I took the opportunity to open the floor and tune my metal detection equipment. As I moved across the attic, I used a crayon to mark every significant signal I came across. I also identified the floor joists to make sure I knew where the center of each cavity was underneath the floorboards. The next step of my plan was to go back and investigate floor markings by drilling a pinky-sized hole in the board above the potential target. Finally, I would view the underside of the floor by dropping my 8.5-millimeter endoscope camera into the hole. Using this process of drilling a small hole and using a snake camera, I could see the floor cavity and see if I was dealing with electrical wiring, piping, or treasure without causing excessive damage or wasting much time. The old pine tongue-and-groove floorboards were fragile, and I did not want to remove them unnecessarily.
As I approached an hour of searching with my XP Deus metal detector, I had already heard many signals and seen even more evidence of other people removing floorboards. But I hadn’t heard any signals I felt were worth stopping and conducting an immediate investigation, mostly because of the fresh claw marks in the wood above almost every signal heard. I decided to inspect outside the rumored area and get closer to the attic space’s sloped ceiling. I figured focusing on the outskirts of the attic might show me something new, considering everybody else before focused on the center of the room. I started checking closely in the areas where the roof slope intersected with the attic floor. Due to the lack of headroom, I got on my hands, knees, and belly to check this area. I noticed a loose board, so I popped it up and shined my flashlight inside. I could see some insulation, but we only had rumors of the treasure being hidden under the floor, so I didn’t want to make a mess by removing insulation unless I heard an excellent signal. I reached inside to gently move the insulation and see if it was even possible to hide something underneath. I learned of a few spots across the whole attic where there was space to hide something under the insulation, so I was not too concerned about checking underneath. I figured the treasure was big enough that it would take up a decent amount of space.
I heard a choice signal in the very back corner, so I slowed down and began inspecting closely, looking for other clues. I also noticed there were four rough cuts at 45-degree angles in the floorboards. The two sets of jagged saw marks were side-by-side and lacking the fresh wood color of all the other recent board cuts I had been checking over the past hour. Each of the four saw cuts had a slight bow in the cut direction. Cuts of this nature were done with an older type circular saw or by someone inexperienced in woodworking. Maybe even a reciprocating saw or possibly a hand saw. Something else that looked odd was one of the boards had two parallel splits down the center. Splits like this typically happen during forced removal, possibly with a prybar. Splits like this would not have been done during the installation of the floor seventy years ago. My conclusion – this looked like the work of a homeowner hurriedly removing boards and warranted a closer inspection. I grabbed my endoscope camera and set it up. This particular endoscope camera wirelessly connects to my phone, allowing me to record directly to my iPhone. I figured whatever the suspect target is, there are a couple of different ways to access it. I wanted to check four or five other access points, so I took a hammer and popped up a few trim pieces covering up these places. I began inspecting under the floor and behind the walls with my endoscope camera. When I finished with the first hole, I realized many spider webs were obstructing my view, so I used a stick to clear some of them out. With a clearer image, I thoroughly inspected a couple of spaces. I decided to call the family member over to see what I was doing and understand the benefit of my technology. I pointed at my screen and explained what we were viewing. She seemed to understand what was in the floor cavities. When I dropped the endoscope camera into the next access point, I saw a small round, shiny circle displaying letters and numbers. We discuss the object for a moment as I brought my camera into focus and began to use the recording feature. The family member was observing the screen and suggested a pipe of some sort. My first thought was a coin was dropped and slipped through the flooring. Bringing the object into focus, I realized a slot in the center of the silver hole. OH MAN, THIS IS A KEYHOLE, I yelled! The first question that came to mind was, what is a keyhole doing under a floorboard? I pulled the camera further away from the item, and I could now see the edges of the box wedged between the floor joists and on top of the insulation. Call it denial if you want, but I still was not ready to admit that I had found a lockbox hidden underneath the floorboards.
I took a deep breath and convinced myself we have something serious. This is the essence of treasure hunting – it’s game time. The family member notified her relatives, telling them I was inspecting something of interest. My next move was to figure out the best way to access the box. I removed a piece of plywood covering the floor joist, rafter, and header joist’s meeting point. I managed to view the box by sliding on my belly and squeezing my head between the rafters. I reached for the cash box with a clear view down into the joist cavity. This was the most incredible treasure I’ve ever seen! As the event unfolded, I explained my every move to the family members as they have been very patiently waiting to find out what is inside the lockbox. As treasure stories go sometimes, the contents turn out to be time capsules, pictures, notes, and other keepsakes. Just because you find a lockbox doesn’t mean there’s necessarily something of monetary value inside. I try not to get a person’s hopes up, at least in the beginning. When you find a hidden lockbox, you hope for a hidden fortune but suspect the least exciting content. This way, the people are not as disappointed if the contents end up being something other than valuable treasure.
I grabbed the box and pulled it, and to my surprise, it was longer and heavier than I initially thought. After a few attempts, I realized I couldn’t remove the box due to the confined space and angle of the roof. I had to go back and remove those two suspiciously cut floorboards that I saw earlier. After removing the floorboards, careful not to do any additional damage to the pine boards, I could access the cavity just as the original pirates did. At this point, I realized the rumors of light shining through the window, into the floorboards, and onto the box was impossible. This metal cash box was covered up with multiple pieces of loose trim and scrap wood. Whoever put this box in here thought that it would help disguise it some more. Possibly like a type of camouflage in case someone pules up the floorboards in the future. I slid the box into view for the family to admire. Of course, I had to get a selfie with the treasure! As I pulled on the heavy metal box and felt it break contact with the surface below, a wave of guilt came over my body. I thought, “I am undoing what the original manager of this treasure intended.”
Anticipating a treasure guardian dropping through the ceiling, I remove the box from its 63-year old hiding place. In shock, we all stared at the box in disbelief. There was a brief second of panic when we realized there were no keys for the lock. I recognized the type of lockbox and knew the piano hinge was its weak point. Disassembly of this type of hinge was easy due to the construction around the spline. I used a small punch to tap out the spline. The two parts of the hinge could now be separated with a pull of the lockbox handle. As soon as I cracked the box open, I saw the old banknotes bundled with currency straps and knew I had found the treasure.
Cash was packed to the lid. All denominations were in the bundles, and individual bills were dated 1934, 1935, and 1950. The date “December 19, 1958,” along with the teller number, was stamped on each currency strap. Silver certificates were visible in three of the bundles. The highly collectible silver certificates are banknotes representing a stated amount of silver bullion payable to the bearer on demand. Silver was viewed as a type of insurance, just in case the dollar value suddenly dropped. Four other packages included bundles in fancy currency packaging labeled “$5,000” each. The cache of vintage banknotes totaled $46,000 in face value. The purchasing power of $46,000 in 1958 was equivalent to $421,603 in 2021. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a price increase like this means 2021 prices are 9.17 times higher than the average prices in 1958.
Most people know of The Great Depression and the hard times brought on by this period. People born during this period endured pain that would scar them for life. Perhaps the children of the depression were hit harder, or at least as hard as the adults. Being an adult and the family provider was a heavy task due to little work and money available. But more so than the adults, the kids would spend the rest of their long lives with the hard times taste in their mouths.
After a 2021 discussion with my grandfather, Louie, I learned about the life of a depression baby. Louie remembers growing up on the fifth floor of their 49th Street apartment in the Bronx. Railroad apartments were the low-cost option his family had. In 1941 his father made 8 dollars a week and paid 11 dollars a month in rent, so low-cost living was their only option. Louie lived in railroad apartments which were a series of connected rooms with public bathrooms. The kerosene heater was the crown jewel of these rooms and the lifeline of the apartment. To survive the winter months meant sticking as close to the heater source as you could. The bathrooms were outside in the hallway, requiring a cold walk he didn’t want to make very often. “Leaving the kerosene heat meant the possibility of getting sick.” Things didn’t get easier once someone finally arrived at the bathroom. “We couldn’t afford toilet paper, so we used old crinkled news newspaper. We rubbed the papers together to make it soft enough to use,” said Louie. The bathroom and other odors were never really an issue because the smell of kerosene took over everything. Clothing didn’t smell like laundry detergent and choice fragrances as they do now. Clothing only smelled of heating fuel. “The families that didn’t smell like kerosene were the rich families,” said Louie. “We couldn’t afford long pants, so knickers and stockings are what we wore. I got my first pair of long pants when I was 18 years old.” Living on a low income and the government home relief program didn’t leave many options for Louie and his family.
According to a 2012 interview with Delbert Keith Gordon, The Great Depression settled into peoples’ lives even if they were well off. Living on the family farm, Dilbert remembers going into town on Saturday nights with ten cents his parents gave him to spend. Dilbert dreamed of that big ten-cents Hershey bar or that nickel ice cream cone. As the great depression tightened its grip, the allowance dwindled to a nickel. Then suddenly, the spare change was gone, and Dilbert’s parents broke the news. The family couldn’t afford to give a child spare change; the amount of coins people nowadays don’t bother picking up off the sidewalk.
Could events like this follow Louie and Dilbert into adulthood? How could they not! Along with the cash hidden in this attic were antique tins of flour and boxes of nails from the original 1950s house construction—evidence of even the wealthiest of families being touched by these challenging times. To most, it might seem strange to save nails and baking flour when you can afford to hide a stockpile of cash. Unless you grew up during The Great Depression were survivors and clung to every material in their possession.
If you are in search of something valuable, contact Keith Wille now.
Steve’s Emergency Metal Detecting Service For You if you lost a ring or something precious to you. Please don’t wait until tomorrow, time will work against you, please CALL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, CALL NOW! 310-953-5268
I received a call about a lost ring in ice plant at the beach. Michelle had been walking along the strand with her date near sunset, when a bug flew near her causing her to swat at it with the hand which held the Mother’s Day ring she had bought for herself the day before. When she flicked her wrist, the ring flew off of her finger into the thick ice plant, and was gone. It was getting dark, but I let her know that I was on my way for the search.
I got to the beach, and Michelle and her date explained what had happened regarding the loss. They had the area nailed down to within a few feet which made the search doable in the dark. I began using my detector over the ice plant hoping the ring did not go too deep into the foliage. I covered all the area they had showed me, then began to move outward. As I moved further away I finally got a signal, although not a very solid one. It was good, but had a scratchy sound to it, not repeatable, but I investigated anyway. When I looked into the ice plant I saw the glint of gold, reached in, and pulled out a beautiful ring which I held out for Michelle. I realized when I saw the ring, why I was getting such a confused signal, it was because the ring was not concentric, but was split where the two butterflies came together. Needless to say Michelle was very happy to have the ring back, and was able to continue her date that evening. I was so very happy to have helped!
Don’t let the County beach cleaning machines take your lost valuable, call as soon as possible! I will work hard, using the most up to date metal detectors, to help you find what you thought might never be found again. I search, Beverly Hills, Hermosa Beach, Huntington Beach, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Newport Beach, Northridge, Pasadena, Redondo Beach, Santa Monica, Seal Beach, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Torrance, Venice Beach, Zuma Beach, and all parks, yards, gardens, and ponds (to 5 foot depths) in all of Orange County, all of Los Angeles County, Southern California, and Ventura County.
Steve’s Emergency Metal Detecting Service For You if you lost a ring or something precious to you. Please don’t wait until tomorrow, time will work against you, please CALL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, CALL NOW! 310-953-5268
I was sitting at home relaxing when Tanya called. She told me how her husband was playing with their children when with a flick of the wrist his ring flew off, and was lost in the sand. Her husband Rob has been the fortunate benefactor of some recent weight loss, and had not had the opportunity to have his ring resized, so the ring came off easily. I let them know I was on my way.
I got to the beach in good time, as traffic was flowing well in my direction. Rob and Tanya saw me getting out of my vehicle, and waved. I got right over to the area, and listened as they explained what had happened. The area where they thought the loss occurred was quite small. I turned on the detector, swung a couple of times when I got a good strong signal, I scooped the sand, and there in the bottom of the scoop was Rob’s ring. A quick search for sure, but without the proper equipment, many times a futile one. Smiles all around this day!
Don’t let the County beach cleaning machines take your lost valuable, call as soon as possible! I will work hard, using the most up to date metal detectors, to help you find what you thought might never be found again. I search, Beverly Hills, Hermosa Beach, Huntington Beach, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Newport Beach, Northridge, Pasadena, Redondo Beach, Santa Monica, Seal Beach, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Torrance, Venice Beach, Zuma Beach, and all parks, yards, gardens, and ponds (to 5 foot depths) in all of Orange County, all of Los Angeles County, Southern California, and Ventura County.
This hunt began as we were finishing our Saturday Naia Lagoon Search for a lost White Gold Wedding Band. As I was heading to the shower a couple on the beach asked if I found anything and I showed them the 4 Gold Rings Terry my detecting buddy and I found. Immediately the gentleman said that’s my wedding ring. I’m like, “What?” He said yes that’s my ring and he could prove it. Sure enough he showed me a pic on his phone of the exact ring and pointed in the water where he lost it and Terry found about three hours earlier. As we looked out in the water there was my fellow Ring Finder Don with his friend hunting for the ring. They had been called previously and since the tide was so high then they returned this morning to continue the hunt. Long story short a combined effort not in vain but one happy couple with the wife in tears. Don & I have collaborated on hunts over the years. While we were taking some selfies with the couple a young lady from Portland, Oregon asked if we could find her Grandpa’s lost gold cross that fell off her brother Sawyer’s necklace in about waist deep water. I said, “I got this” and proceeded to the water where the family was searching for the lost cross. I got some quick reference points and started the hunt. After a minute and on the second leg I got a nice tone on the Nox and on the second scoop there was the beautiful Gold Family Heirloom Cross. The family was so thankful and a sigh of relief was evident in all of them. What an awesome morning at the beach! Aloha to Sawyer and his Family!
