Lost White Gold Engagement Ring-Found!
I received a text from Leslie on Monday afternoon concerning a lost engagement ring. She had found me with an internet search. As it was late in the day I told her I could come the next day, becase it was about a two hour drive from where I’m located. I got to the site at around 11:00 AM Central Time. The couple had been pulling a boat and pulled off into the parking lot of an old convience store that had been converted into another use. As they got out to adjust the boat straps, (the ring had been placed in the shallow tray under the door handle), the ring somehow went flying. They looked on the pavement and didn’t see it, but there was a grass strip between the pavement and a shallow ditch, then more grass just beyond the ditch. I started my search in the grass strip, then the ditch, then just beyond the ditch. Being this had been a convience store at one time I expected a lot of metal trash in the ground, and I was right. She did have a metal detector that had been her grandfather’s, but was overwhelmed by the abundance of metal trash. I searched slowly and methodically while listening for the white gold tone and looking for the target ID I typically get for white gold rings. After searching the entire area, no ring. Of course I found several pieces of foil. I turned off my CTX detector, and was explaing the process, where I search the most likely area first, then expand the search area if the ring is not found, (a visual scan of the pavement was next). At that time someone from the building, I’ll call him “Tom”, came out and we explained what we were doing, and that a visual scan of the pavement was next. He struck out towards the highway, and in around ten seconds I heard him call out, “is this it?” He had found it around 10-12 feet from the edge of a busy highway! The ring was intact, but had some minor damage where it looked as though it had been run over and stuck in the tire treads before dropping off just before the highway. In a visual search, the more eyes the better. All in all, another successful search!
I was called late in the afternoon to find a lost wedding and engagement ring in the sand at Pensacola Beach. The beach this day was packed with folks enjoying the weekend and fine weather. Sarah and Ron had their umbrella and beach chairs set with an extra shade tent for the infant baby. Sarah took her rings off and set them on the cooler while applying sunscreen on the baby. The baby squirmed about and somehow kicked the ring that when flying through the air, landing in the sand and burrowed in out of sight. At this point Sarah didn’t know the ring was missing but after taking care of the baby and getting him settled she soon discovered the rings were missing. Sarah and Ron frantically looked around for the rings, sifting the sand as best they could with no success. People were weaving their way through the crowded beach and impacting the area where the rings could have been buried. When I arrive I first surveyed the area they thought was the most likely spot. There were beach chairs, umbrellas, coolers and towels laid out every where. I politely asked everyone it I could move there property so I could check for the lost rings. Luckily everyone was cooperative. It didn’t take long to locate a couple of targets, the first was a aluminum can pull top that sounded surprisingly similar to a gold ring that had been soldered together. The second was the ring! Their beach neighbor had a tent set up with fabric sides. Apparently the baby sent the ring flying which hit the side of the tent with a little bounce and settled in the sand that may have been stepped on sending it a little deeper in the dry sand. In any event Sarah and Ron were overjoyed the ring was back on her finger. They were all smiles and grateful. 
A local surf shop in Pensacola, Waterboyz, celebrated its 30 year anniversary since opening its doors. They celebrated by having a special ring make for the founders. Since the founders surfed, one of them lost his ring in the water at a break west of the Pensacola Pier. The ring was solid silver and my detector literally screamed when I passed the coil over it. The ring was found and returned to its happy owner who was amazed it was recovered from the surf. I was more than satisfied to have been of service, and had a long shot recovery success. 
