Engagement & Wedding Rings Lost While Canoeing the Buffalo in Waynesboro, TN… FOUND!
Christina McCree – Ring Finder/Metal Detectorist for northern Alabama and southern/middle Tennessee. Call or text ASAP, anytime 24/7 at 610-504-6135.
On Saturday morning, October 12th, 2024, I received a text message from Jessie stating she had lost her wedding ring set a few weeks prior while canoeing the Buffalo River with Crazy Horse Recreational Park in Waynesboro, Tennessee. This is Jessie’s grandmother’s engagement ring and Jessie’s grandmother-in-law’s wedding band soldered together as one. Highly sentimental and irreplaceable. To top it off, Jessie and Todd had just celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary. Crazy Horse is a 2-hour drive from where I live at in Huntsville, Alabama and the canoe/kayak float on the Buffalo is an 8-mile trip. We’d be pushing it close if we went for a search that same day. Jessie suggested that we go the following Saturday, so that we’d have plenty of time to search. I told her that sounded good, and as long as her ring was still there and she got me in the right spot, our chances of finding it were very good.
I packed up all the gear I would need for a shallow water search on Friday evening. Jessie said she was floating when she felt her ring slip off, so she thought the water was about 2-3 feet deep. Jessie had been canoeing with her husband, Todd and two of their good friends. Their friends hit some rough water and flipped. Jessie and Todd helped get them to safety, but their canoe was completely sunk. So, the four friends had to share one canoe for the remainder of the trip (about 5 miles). Jessie volunteered to float outside of the canoe, while holding on to her friend. About a mile downstream, her friend caught his body on something, which caused him to let go of Jessie. That’s when she felt her ring come off.
I met Jessie and Todd at Crazy Horse a little after 10am on Saturday, October 19th. It had now been 4 weeks since Jessie’s yellow gold wedding ring set was lost. The three of us decided to rent single rider kayaks for this 8-mile trip. Crazy Horse was very accommodating and tried their best to help Jessie and Todd pinpoint the spot where her ring came off. The loss happened at one of the bends, but a lot of those areas can look similar, and it had been raining that day. We didn’t have any rain since, so the water level probably dropped making it even harder to pinpoint the exact area. We decided that we would stop and search at all potential areas, because once we passed it, we wouldn’t be able to paddle back upstream.
We loaded up in Crazy Horse’s transportation van and they took us up 8-miles to the put-in area. We got all of my gear and coolers loaded up in our kayaks and we were on our way down the Buffalo! Jessie and Todd felt that the first spot we stopped at to search wasn’t the area of loss, but we wanted to make sure. We were able to clear it in about 30 minutes and we were back on our way. Jessie thought her friends had flipped their canoe at one spot, but it ended up being further downstream than she thought. We saw two other kayaks get caught at an area and then Jessie said that spot was the correct area where their friends canoe flipped and sunk. The area the ring was lost would be about another mile downstream.
We came up to the second search area. Jessie really felt that this was where she lost her ring. The water depth ranged from ankle to waist deep and was pretty chilly. We had a cold front move in during the week, but thankfully it was warm and sunny that day. Plus, I had on my wetsuit bottoms, so the water wasn’t too bad. We spent about an hour searching, but I only found 2 pieces of trash. Jessie really felt like this was the area, but based on my search, I felt pretty confident that her ring wasn’t there. I said that maybe it was further down river. Jessie marked that spot on her phone and reluctantly continued on. We floated about a half mile further and we started getting a little discouraged, thinking, “maybe that was the spot?”
However, we soon came up to another area that looked like it could be it. Todd then stated confidently, “Jess, right there is where you said you lost your ring.” That area had some small rapids leading into a bend on the right side. Jessie thought Todd could be right.
There was nowhere to dock our kayaks, so Todd stayed with them on the left side. The water was about ankle deep (may have changed over the 4 weeks). I began searching at the top of the river going down to the bend. I had just made my way passed the spot Todd thought it was at, then I got a solid 29 on my Minelab Equinox 900. I couldn’t see anything, even after using my foot to brush away debris. I took out my Garret pinpointer and soon found the target. Completely tucked under moss, and covered by tiny rocks and dirt (never would’ve found it without a detector) emerged a ring! At first, I thought this wasn’t it until I turned it around and saw the diamonds gleaming back at me. It was 2 gold rings soldered together. This had to be it! Todd said, “I think she has it!” Jessie walked over with tears in her eyes and confirmed that was her ring. She almost couldn’t believe it. She gave me a big hug and we celebrated! I raised my metal detector to the sky and said, “thank you, God!”
We talked about the chances of finding a ring after it was lost for 4 weeks in an 8-mile stretch of river while it was raining. We decided that it had to be a miracle. And, both Jessie’s and Todd’s grandmothers were watching and smiling over us. After some reflection, we got back in our kayaks and were able to enjoy the remaining 5 miles of the Buffalo float knowing that we had what we came for.
Once we got back to Crazy Horse, we took some pictures, and I handed Jessie some of my business cards. We said our farewells. Jessie and Todd went to dinner, and I got on the road to head home to Huntsville. I had some of my mom’s slow cooker turkey BBQs and home fried potatoes waiting on me. By the time I made it home, this trip turned out to be an 11-hour adventure. Definitely well worth it to help someone find their irreplaceable family heirloom wedding rings and to see that smile! 😊
I give all praise and glory to God for this successful search. He has definitely blessed me with the means to go on these adventures and make these recoveries – truck, gear, detectors, and skills/works. Plus, I have the faith. Also, a huge thank you to the Crazy Horse staff! Highly recommend their canoe/kayak service and that beautiful float on the Buffalo River. I think I’ll always remember this ring search adventure as “the Mircale on the Buffalo”. Until the next one, please take care and God bless!
Jessie’s testimonial and photo:
A needle in a haystack! I lost my wedding ring while canoeing on the Buffalo River. This ring wasn’t just any ring; it was my grandmother’s engagement ring and my husband’s grandmother’s wedding band soldered together. I was devastated when I lost it. By the grace of God, I stumbled upon Ringfinders and found Christina McCree. She responded immediately and was ready to help me find it! She traveled and went on an 8-mile kayak trip to help me find it in freezing cold water. She was patient and kind, and like a superhero, she found my ring!!! It was truly an answered prayer. I highly recommend reaching out to her if you’re a fool like me and accidentally lose your wedding ring!
Jessie’s sister’s story (she’s hoping to get it published in the local newspaper):
An answered prayer and miracle for sure! Ring finder, Christina McCree, comes to the rescue and helps a couple recover a lost wedding ring and family heirloom in the Buffalo River in Tennessee.
Four friends set out for a fun filled day at Crazy Horse Canoes. The peaceful serenity of an autumn afternoon was shattered for Jessie Camp, when the beloved symbol of her marriage slipped from her finger and vanished into the waters below. What began as a joyful day of canoeing with friends quickly spiraled into a heart-wrenching loss.
On that fateful day, Jessie and husband Todd were canoeing down the buffalo river, their laughter echoing among friends as they paddled blissfully downstream. The tight-knit group had come together to celebrate the beauty of nature—a moment filled with joy, camaraderie, and the thrill of outdoor adventure. However, as the current picked up, their less experienced friends struggled to stay afloat and flipped their canoe. Jessie and Todd knew they had to go back and help them. They found a place for their canoe and without thinking swam upstream to help their friends.
By the time Jessie and Todd made it upstream, their friends canoe was sunk lodged under a tree. They tried for about an hour to recover it. With no luck, they knew they were going to have to navigate the last 7 miles with only 1 canoe.
We knew we all couldn’t fit in the canoe, so Jessie, being most comfortable in the water, gave up her spot in the canoe. And the four friends came up with a plan. The two in the water were to stick together and hold the back of the canoe so nobody got left behind. The plan was working pretty good until they came across strong current and David the friend in the water hit a rock and let go of the canoe taking Jessie with him.
In an instant fighting current and rocks, the ring Jessie had worn almost every single day since her wedding—a unique piece meticulously crafted from her and Todds grandmother’s rings—slipped from her finger and disappeared among the swirling currents and submerged rocks. Jessie’s heart sank, as she desperately tried to recover her ring but was being pulled downstream by the current.
“My heart was shattered,” she recalled, her voice trembling with emotion. “The ring was irreplaceable. It was a part of our family’s legacy, a connection to both of our grandparents. I felt like I had lost a piece of my past.”
Despite her devastation, Jessie turned her focus back to her friends, ensuring they all made it safely down river before dark. The experience was bittersweet; the joy of helping her friends was overshadowed by her grief. Days turned into weeks, and Jessie was unable to shake the feeling of loss as she returned to everyday life without the ring that had been a constant reminder of her love.
On her anniversary, she was determined to find her ring! Jessie and husband Todd, made the decision to return to the Buffalo River with a professional ring finder, Christina McCree, equipped with an underwater metal detector, hopeful yet aware of the chances of actually finding the ring. It was going to be a needle in the haystack situation. The friendly Crazy Horse Canoe staff helped educate them on the river and where abouts the forks were as they recalled losing it at a fork in the river with current.
The couple and ring finder embarked on their mission hearts filled with a cocktail of anxiety and hope. Hours passed as they scoured the riverbed, weeds swaying gently above the water’s surface, the search proving both exhausting and exhilarating. We knew if we could just pinpoint the exact location, the chances of finding it would increase greatly.
With two unsuccessful searches, we went up river, and Todd was confident he finally found the right spot! Just a few minutes into the search at that location, excitement erupted as the metal detector beeped, signaling the potential of a treasure unearthed. Christina pulled out her pinpoint detector, moments later, she lifted her hand with a smile on her face, cradling the lost ring that had captured Jessie’s heart so long ago.
“I could hardly believe it when she handed it to me,” Jessie recounted, tears of joy glistening in her eyes. “It felt like a miracle to have it back. The ring was tucked away under a rock, covered in moss, “We would have never found it without Christina, God, and the Crazy Horse Canoe staff. I am beyond thankful for them for my answered prayer.
The couple stood hand in hand, gazing at her ring, laughter spilling forth as they celebrated this incredible moment. Jessie understood that the ring represented far more than just a piece of jewelry; it was a symbol of her family’s love, resilience, and the unexpected joy of life’s twists and turns.
As they made their way home, the couple realized that love is not only about holding on but also about letting go and trusting that sometimes, miracles happen when you least expect them. In a world fraught with uncertainties, their story serves as a beautiful reminder that hope and connection can sometimes be found just below the surface.
