Heirloom Ring Recovered at Navarre Beach
Dave, my Son-In-Law got a call Tuesday morning from Gina asking could he please help her find her Father’s ring in the Gulf of Mexico. David had to work that day so he asked me to help Gina. Her Father had since passed away and she was overwrought emotionally and ardently sentimental about the loss of his heirloom. To Gina the ring is a significant and permanent connection spirituality with her Father that was on her finger everyday and just had to be reclaimed. The ring was lost in about waist deep water at low tide but the horizontal plain was quiet large, perhaps 300 to 400 feet. Another factor revolved around the weather forecast. A tropical system was forecast to arrive that evening with large surf and gale force winds. If the ring wasn’t recovered before the weather arrived the probability of recovery would be significantly diminished. The beach she visited is part of the Gulf Islands Seashore and Park Management does not allow metal detection in the Park without a Special Permit. I have performed several recoveries of property for Gulf Islands Guests in the pass and contacted Park Staff for a permit only to learn that everyone was gone this day. The Park had an All-Hands-On-Deck wildfire in progress and I couldn’t get in touch with anyone. After several hours I did get in touch with a staff member who said to send an email requesting a permit and (in not so many words) that should cover my back. Because lots of time had passed in travel and permit issue and with weather issues on the horizon and most importantly, because Gina put her trust in me and I couldn’t fathom disappointing her, I arrived on the beach in early afternoon and Gina was their waiting on me. The search took about 4 hours before I heard the unmistakable vivacious, exuberant, resonance of gold. I immediately broke into a wide grin that got Gina’s attention. I exited the water and returned her ring to her hand and she put it back on the finger where it belongs. Both David and I are more that happy that we were able to made things right for Gina that day!
I got called Saturday morning from John asking if I could help in finding his wedding band. He thought it was lost in a rather small area on the sandy beach, which he was standing guard over so no one would disturb the sand causing it go deeper. Both he and his wife were most concerned something would happen and his ring would be lost forever and could I come right away. I arrived about 45 minutes later and got to know John as we searched the area he thought contained his ring. John is from Mississippi and loves the outdoors and hadn’t been married that long. But this day he wasn’t happy, having lost his ring. He claimed I needed to find the ring to save his marriage, I’m sure just hyperbole. He had consulted with his friends back home about how to proceed, thought about buying a metal detector but someone had hear of us and recommended Pensacola Ring Finders as a more economical route. We couldn’t find it in the logical area so after brainstorming his activity determined when he moved a cooler the ring may have been sent sailing in a south easterly direction. So I searched that area and kept expanding and indeed found this ring in the steep slope leading to the water. It was found probably 40 feet from were he moved the cooler. Needless to say he was happy and impressed that I could find such a small item in such a large area. He said he was going to get a detector when he got home to do some detecting in Mississippi around where he lives. I said if he needed partners to hunt with we would be happy to assist! 
I met Jeff and Mandi at Orange Beach Alabama where they were enjoying a week of rest and relaxation at the beach when Jeff lost his wedding ring. This ring held unfathomable sentimental significance that culmination in a romance that spanned more that 30 years. The story began when Jeff and Mandi met at the University of Southern Alabama. They became very close while in College and frequented the area attractions including the beaches. Their favorite spot was Fairhope and more specifically the Fairhope Pier that over looked Mobile Bay. Some time near graduation they were visiting the Pier and Jeff proposed presenting an engagement ring, Mandi accepted! But it was not to be, much later Mandi returned the engagement ring and they went in different directions. But they stayed friends and because of the family connections stayed in touch. Twenty five years later, the romance rekindled. They were living in different states and developed a long distance relationship. After several years, they were vacationing near the beaches and Fairhope, which Mandi says is her “Happy Place”, and they decide to visit the pier. Once again Jeff proposed and gave her the same engagement ring from 30 years before! This time she accepted forever! Unbeknownst, their families got wind of the proposal and brought the party with them, to the pier! They were finally married after about 30 years, which brings us to the present when I recovered Jeff’s wedding band. In the picture above you can see the engraving inside the band. The entire engraving reads. At Last Love Mandi. Mandi showed me the ring that was given to her thirty years earlier and again four years ago. The day I recovered Jeff’s ring the surf was quite rough several waves broke over my head, but Jeff’s ring was found in about 3 minutes. I went right to it. I can’t help but think that I was meant to find it and return it to this super couple as testament to their faith, perseverance and love! 
Got a call from Allison about a cross and chain lost in the sand, in Lavallette NJ. She said her son Jake was there with some friends, and before entering the water, he removed it and wrapped it up in his towel for safe keeping. Later on he remembered it was in the towel, but after looking around for quite a while it was nowhere to be found. After digging around the entire area with no luck, they used a metal detector, and had the same results. I met them on the beach, and they had the entire area marked out which is always a good thing. After searching the area in two directions with no luck, we decided to look to the south, which was the opposite side of where the towel was positioned in the first location. A few feet into the new area I received a faint but solid tone, and bingo, there it was. Most likely Jake came out of the water an grabbed the towel, and by the time it was opened enough for the cross to fall out he was about 25′ of so from the original location.
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I received a call late one evening from Lisa. She had just arrived back home after a nice weekend at the beach with her family. She was entering the water holding hands with her daughter, and when she bent down to grab a shell, their hands slipped apart, and off the ring slid. With the waves washing up, it immediately disappeared, to who knows where. After looking for quite a bit with no luck, they had to pack up and head home. She knew all the right things to do to mark the location, which she conveyed to me on the phone, and we agreed to give it a shot on the next low tide. Its obvious now she had the spot marked perfectly, because I had the ring within 45 min of starting my search. It was to far for Lisa to travel, so we decided the best thing would be for me to mail them back, so I packed them up, and by the next morning they were back where they belong. 
