Got a call from newlywed Aaron this afternoon said his ring came off in the deep snow that fell upon the Detroit area recently. It happened when he ran outside with the dog to grab a few logs for the fireplace and after a few snowballs and fetch he noticed the ring missing when he got back indoors. Using a loaner detector brought no luck. When I arrived I noticed the area him and the dog were and began to set up my MXT. Slicing thru the 8 inch snow and deeper drifts with my bigfoot coil revealed nothing. So I began a wider search pattern and back by the log pile next to the garage the detector gave a sweet signal. Brushing the snow aside revealed this beautiful white/yellow gold ring glistening in the snow! I waved him over and he could not believe it was that far off from where he was with the dog.
Perfect timing as he had a meeting to get to for work. He thanked me and I said I was glad to help keep their flame burning and wished them the best in their new life together.
In Tarrytown, New York, Heather helped her son look through the freshly fallen snow for his lost GoPro. During the GoPro search, Heather’s ring went missing! The 15-year-old diamond band had to be in the yard somewhere. Making matters worse, the ground was covered in 18 inches of snow. Heather was forced to repeatedly walk along the same pathways throughout the yard, one positive perspective of deep snow. The ring had to be on a footpath, or it could be lost near the play structure where they were searching for the GoPro. Heather realized how complicated this task could get, so she searched online for “how to find a ring in the snow.” Heather found my information and sent me an email. We decided on a day that worked for both of our schedules, and I made the trip to New York from Connecticut.
I arrived in Tarrytown and couldn’t believe how much snow was actually on the ground. Luckily the footprints in Heather’s yard were obvious, so the ring could only be in a couple of places. Heather stopped her family from using the backyard when she realized the ring was missing, preserving the scene until I got there. We carefully walked through the yard, and Heather explained everything she could remember.
I began my search at the playset where Heather removed her gloves for the first time. This location is also where Heather spent the most amount of time searching for the GoPro. The very first signal on my metal detector was faint, but it was in the gold range. The ring was small, so I knew the chance of moving it around in the loose snow was high. In my live dig video, you can see I scooped snow from where the signal originated. It took me a few seconds of fumbling and searching to realize snow had encased the item. My pinpointer was vibrating on what looked like an ice clump. My first thought was pull-tab. The kids were out here playing and dropped it in the snow. But when I moved the cluster, I saw a shape and glimmer that could only be one thing. A diamond band! Heather’s cold fingers must have been constricted, and when she pulled the glove off that day, the ring came off with it.
Check out my YouTube video to see Heather’s reaction!
From Heather:
I’m so grateful to Keith for finding my wedding band! One of my son’s friends was over at our house for some sledding. We had about 1.5 feet of relatively fresh snow, and the boys had lost a GoPro camera in the snow near the swing set in our yard. I was outside helping to search for it, and at some point, I took my gloves off quickly, and my ring flew off my finger. I didn’t notice because it was really cold at the time, and my hands were pretty numb. After a while, we found the GoPro, but I realized my wedding band was gone when I got back inside. I immediately knew what had happened. I checked my glove and coat first, and then I went back outside to take a look, but it felt pretty impossible to find anything so small in all that deep snow. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I googled “how to find a ring in the snow?” and Keith’s name popped up.
When Keith arrived at our house, I was able to show him the area of our yard where I thought the ring might be. Within 15 minutes, he found it! The ring has been with me for almost 15 years now, and I’m so relieved to have it back.
I can’t recommend Keith enough! Losing something sentimental and valuable is devastating and stressful. Keith was professional and kind, and his experience hunting for lost items put me at ease and gave me hope that my wedding band could be found even in the large amount of snow that had fallen. He drove several hours to get to our house in New York before more snow and ice (in the forecast) fell. He’s clearly passionate about what he does, and that’s a great thing for anyone who has lost something. I highly recommend calling him if you need help.”
How to Find a Lost Ring
Lost ring in the snow? It happens all the time – brushing and scraping ice, throwing snowballs, sleigh riding, taking off gloves, taking out the trash. Suddenly your ring goes flying. Don’t waste your time renting or borrowing a metal detector. Stop and mark the area where you believe the ring was lost. If plowing or shoveling occurs, block off the site to preserve the ring’s location. My jewelry finding service covers Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and other surrounding states.
If you have a lost ring or something of value, contact Keith Wille now.
Got a call out on a weekday evening. His daughter slipped while climbing an embankment and both of the silver rings her father had given her were gone off her finger. While she was dancing, he contacted me and within the hour, the rings were back in hand. Relief all round. Watch the video for details.
Nicki and John hurried to the local sporting goods store to purchase a metal detector. Little did they know, moving the trash and recycling bins one winter night would lead to hours of hands-and-knees searching, in the snow, for a lost wedding band. John grabbed the city bin handle and started pulling. The ice and snow from the winter storm had these containers wedged in place. One was breaking loose when John’s cold hands slipped off the handle. He heard something strike the wooden garage door and realized it was his gold wedding band. They spent three hours searching for the ring, including the use of a recently purchased metal detector and rake. Eventually, the couple decided they needed help in their search. Nicki contacted me, and we discussed the details of the lost ring. We knew the ring was there, but it could have bounced in any direction. There was a snow mound next to the garage where the bins were stored. The wedding band could have landed anywhere. There was even the possibility the ring could have flown over the chain-linked fence into the next yard. Nicki could see the only options, either book the search with a professional or wait for the snow to melt and hope the wedding band was not picked up by someone else.
Nicki booked the search and sent clear photos of the area. I arrived, and we walked the driveway recapping that night’s events. We decided to move the trash and recycling containers to open up some detecting areas. John headed indoors for a moment, and I got started with the search. Only minutes after turning on the metal detector, I heard two signals. Both came from where the trash and recycling containers were typically stored. I marked the areas and started recording for the live dig. The display numbers were in the 60s and 70s on my XP Deus metal detector. Gold falls in this number range, so I was hoping one of the signals was the lost wedding band. Uncovering the first target, as you can see in the video, I found a nickel. I brushed the snow away from the second item, and only an inch or two under the top layer of snow, I saw gold. The wedding band was barely covered and must have been protected by the recycling container. Once Nicki and John returned the bins after pick-up, the wedding band must have been preserved underneath, in the top layer of snow, until today.
I coordinated with Nikki for the surprise reveal of the ring. Once John came back out, I asked a couple of questions, and in the middle of his response, I revealed the ring to him and asked, “Is that it?” He was trying to focus on the item I was holding. When he realized I was holding his wedding band, the excitement set in, and I could hear the shudder in his voice. His reply was, “Yes, it is. How did you do that?” We laughed and joked about the difficulty of learning a new metal detector in the middle of an emergency ring search. I handed over the cherished wedding band to the happy couple and headed to my next adventure in New York.
How to Find a Lost Ring
Lost ring in the snow? It happens all the time – brushing and scraping ice, throwing snowballs, sleigh riding, taking off gloves, taking out the trash. Suddenly your ring goes flying. Don’t waste your time renting or borrowing a metal detector. Stop and mark the area where you believe the ring was lost. If plowing or shoveling occurs, block off the site to preserve the ring’s location. My jewelry finding service covers Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and other surrounding states.
If you have a lost ring or something of value, contact Keith Wille now.
Ring Finder – Ring Recovery Specialist…Lost ring? Lost necklace? Lost keys?… Metal Detector Service – Call ASAP 021 401626
At the end of December, after a day at Ocean Beach near Whangarei, Karen arrived back home to realise she had lost her ring back at the beach.
She had taken it off to apply sunscreen and presumably left it on the towel, and flicked it off when she packed up.
She drove out again to try and find it with her friend who owned a metal detector, but had no luck.
Successive attempts by various people with detectors were also unsuccessful, and she had all but given it up as lost.
As is often the case, it was the sentimental rather than the monetary value that hurt the most.
I was in the Whangarei area to hand over another previously found ring and had come down very early to spend some time at Ocean Beach to see if I could find her lost wedding ring.
Sitting in the carpark just before dawn, I went through her Facebook post again. She had noted several crucial times: When she was at the beach initially, and also when she went back to look and found the tide had covered the spot. Quick flick back to the December tide tables allowed me to work out how far below high tide mark she had been sitting.
She had also had the presence of mind to take photos of landmark alignments which while giving a relatively accurate fix, could equally work against us if a casual detectorist had intentionally sought to pocket it.
A very small white gold ring, lost on a popular surf beach with nearly a two month headstart and an accurate description of the location posted on social media, I wasn’t too optimistic to be honest – but you have to believe it’s there… having that valuable edge of experience to sway the odds in your favour helps.
It was still dark and no moon, but I could see the silhouette of the landmarks against the city glow behind the hills. After a few dry runs to get the best of three guesses as to location, I took the average of the three and started the grid.
Within fifteen minutes, I had the ring in the pouch.
I posted a photo of the ring as a reply to Karens original post, and hoped she would see it before I had to head back north. She did, and several hours later, I met up with Karen and handed her ring back to her.
Two rings handed back in one day – It’s a good feeling.
This ring find began when I got a call from a lady who said her friend’s husband from Bountiful, Utah lost his wedding ring on Kailua Beach. I told her that ring finder Don lived in that area but she said he wasn’t available. The day was getting short so I told her to stay near her phone and that google maps said I could be there in 28 minutes. Sure enough when I arrived they were waiting for me on the side of the road closest to the beach access point. I was introduced to Steve and his lovely and funny wife Hope. We trekked down to the beach and Steve drew a box in the sand where he thought the ring should be. He had placed his ring on a beach chair along with some other items and when he picked up the chair to leave it must have fallen out. I started the hunt in one corner of the grid and worked towards the road. First target was a piece of foil. The next target was a booming 20 on the Nox and on the second scoop there was Steve’s Yellow Gold Wedding Band in the scoop. Someone must have stepped on it as it was several inches under the sand. Hope & Steve were elated and very thankful. Vacation saved! Aloha to Hope & Steve!
“Keith is responsive, super-nice, knowledgeable, and found my heirloom engagement ring I lost in the snow! If you’re in for a bit of a story, please keep reading. Otherwise, all you need to know is that Keith is the real deal. My fiancé Greg and I were on our way to watch the Super Bowl when I took my engagement ring off to put some hand cream on. No big deal, right? Well, I never ended up putting the ring back on. With my hands full, I hopped out of his truck and onto the driveway of our friend’s house. The ring was unknowingly flung off my lap and into the driveway. It wasn’t until we had gotten settled down inside that I noticed the ring was gone. What could have been an easy and routine find became nearly impossible due to a fresh coat of snow on top of about a foot of snow from a recent storm. In addition to this, our friend shoveled the remaining snow from the driveway into his yard after we had arrived, which further complicated the finding of the ring. Our entire group of great friends sprang into action in the search for the ring. We even used a metal detector! Yet still no luck. I was absolutely devastated. Any engagement ring is sentimental, but this is also an heirloom ring, which added even more feelings of guilt and helplessness. Greg began googling “how to find a lost ring in the snow.” Google knows everything! He came across a site called The Ring Finders, where he found Keith. He sent Keith an email, and within hours, Keith got in contact with us, and we arranged a search. Despite nearly a 2-hour drive (each way!) and even more inclement weather, Keith made the trip to help us that evening. He assured us that if the ring was, in fact, there, he would find it. He was right! After an hour and a half or so of continued shoveling, chiseling, and searching through the snow and ice, Keith located the ring! We couldn’t believe it! We were SO ECSTATIC! It almost felt like we got engaged all over again! If you’ve lost something cherished, Keith is the guy to go to! Thank you, Keith!!!” – Sarah
When I arrived, the snow was starting to taper off. I believe the Springfield, MA area got two or three inches that afternoon and evening. Looking at the waist-high snowbanks on both sides of the driveway, it was looking like a long night. I started by metal detecting the spot where they were hand digging from a few nights ago, but I came up empty-handed. I figured it was time to start shoveling if the ring was buried deeply by the previous search party. Sarah and Greg both tossed shovels full of snow onto the open driveway. I scanned with my metal detector as each scoop hit the surface.
As we cut down through the snow, I felt we had to be getting close. After about an hour and a half of shoveling, the freshly fallen snow was long removed, and we were digging into the icy underlayer. Circling out wider and wider from where we thought the ring was, I heard a good signal along the sidewalk (at least where I think the sidewalk was), but it turned out to be a small copper washer. Sometime later, I made my way down to the end of the driveway, right where Sara stepped out of the truck that night. I heard a weird signal, so I had to investigate. It was definitely buried in the ice, so I didn’t have high hopes that it was the ring. Agawam, MA, had lots of fresh snow but no temperature drop, so technically, the ring shouldn’t be under the ice. As I started chipping away and removing layers, I pulled out my pinpointer, or mini metal detector, and started narrowing down the signal. I saw asphalt, so I knew I was on the edge of the road and driveway. There was only a thin layer of ice remaining, so whatever the signal was, I was getting close. One last chip with the shovel and I flipped over a big chunk of ice. Expecting the item to be under the asphalt, I was shocked to see a gold ring stuck to the bottom of the ice clump. I brushed off the heirloom ring and handed it to the happy couple.
How to Find a Lost Ring
Lost ring in the snow? It happens all the time – brushing and scraping ice, throwing snowballs, sleigh riding, taking off gloves, taking out the trash. Suddenly your ring goes flying. Don’t waste your time renting or borrowing a metal detector. Stop and mark the area where you believe the ring was lost. If plowing or shoveling occurs, block off the site to preserve the ring’s location. My jewelry finding service covers Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and other surrounding states.
If you have a lost ring or something of value, contact Keith Wille now.
I received a text on Monday February 8th from Alison asking if I was able to help her find her rings which she had lost in her back yard over the weekend.
After talking to Alison and asking many questions I agreed to schedule a time to search but unfortunately the weather was against us due to an arctic vortex clamping down on Alberta with extremely cold windshield values between -40 Celsius and -45it was way too cold to be outside searching for the rings, I assured Alison that her rings are safe where they are and as soon as we have a break in the weather I would come out and find the rings for her. Friday February 12th we finally got a break in the weather, still cold at -25 Celsius but with hardly any wind! I texted Alison and agreed to meet up with her in the afternoon.
I met up with Alison and she showed me where she was standing on her deck when she shook her hand and both rings flew off and landed somewhere in the back yard.
Alison told me she spent an hour searching for the rings using a rake to sift through the snow but with no luck. With my experience I knew the rings were very close to where she was standing and not where she thought the rings could be.
Within 5 minutes I found one ring so then I knew the other ring was close by and within 12 inches I found the other.
I took both rings to Alison in the house, she was so grateful to have her rings back on her finger – a happy ending!
Back in October I received a message from a distraught lady that had just lost her wedding ring set on a recent outing. She had found my offer of recovery services on TheRingFinder.com website. As the story developed it turned out to be our local KIRO morning news anchor Colleen O’Brien. She had just lost her wedding ring set on a recent outing to the park with her family. After working with her over the phone she had high hopes that the rings were most likely lost in the park. As they had taken some family photos within the grass amongst the fallen leaves. I also learned that they had made a stop at the local Walgreens where she hopped out for a quick visit before reaching the park. With that in mind I encouraged her to revisit the parking lot of the Walgreens for a second look as they were closer to the location than I.
Being a high traffic public area this made it critical to respond as soon as possible. Our concerns in public parking lots is to scan the area before someone else finds your lost items of value. Even though many people will try to find you not everyone will return expensive wedding rings or even understand the best ways to reach out to the public. I was still on schedule to search the retail parking lot and the park as necessary when the good news came in. Her husband was able to swing by the parking lot soon after our conversation and recovered both of the lost wedding rings for his wife, Colleen.
I am always happy to work with people over the phone and overwhelmed with joy any time someone gets a recovery no matter how it comes about. Just being able to share some insight, hope and encouragement was exactly what this story needed and I was honored to take the call.
Whit this experience Colleen was very appreciative and suggested we do a new story on TheRingFinders.com so more people are made aware of the amazing services that our finders all across the country offer in helping people find their lost items of value.
Please share the story on social media to get the word out making TheRingFinders.com a house hold name so we can recover more smiles!
This story aired on KIRO Radio News on Feb. 12th, 2021
Got a call from Kayla this morning she said hers keys fell out of her pocket while her and the children were playing in the snow at a park just before dark yesterday. While on her way to meet me her friends car got a flat tire at her house so I said I’ll start the search without her. I turned on my MXT metal detector and searched where she fell on a small hill masked by snow. Nothing there. I started to search their tracks and on one branch of their trail I got a good solid signal. Brushing the snow aside revealed her keys not too far from some playground equipment. Sending a quick pic of them we decided to meet at her house to drop off the keys. Happy that her luck had turned positive with the keys found, we chatted and enjoyed some hot chocolate, and as she lifted the remote start into the air we paused to listen to a smooth start up of the car.
