Lost Gold Chain and Medallion, FOUND! Cape May, NJ By Ringfinder Jeffrey Laag


Item recovered July 7, 2025.
I received a text from Pedro in the morning asking for help locating a gold bracelet with sentimental value which was lost somewhere in his yard. The bracelet was a gold “figaro” style bracelet which was lost while he was mowing his yard.
He had reviewed his security cameras and was able to determine he had the bracelet on when he started mowing, but it was missing from his arm when he returned the mower back to the garage. He had been looking for it for the past couple weeks, afraid to cut his yard again for fear of damaging or destroying the bracelet. He had even borrowed a neighbor’s Fisher metal detector to look for it himself, but was unable to find it.
I set up a time to dive out to Pedro’s house after work. We had a narrow window due to Pedro working the night shift and he needed to be at his job at 8:00pm. Gibsonton is about a 1-hour drive from my house (with traffic) and I was going to be fighting the rush hour crowd.
I arrived at Pedro’s house at about 6:00 and hoped to locate this bracelet quickly. He said the most likely place is the back yard, so that’s where I started my search. The back yard was overgrown and I began gridding the area in park mode and had some nice sounding targets which warranted further inspection, but did not produce the bracelet.
Bracelets and chains can be tricky depending on how they are laying on the ground. Knowing this, I changed modes to a more sensitive setting and set out to grid the back yard a second time. I hit all the same targets and a few additional, but still no bracelet.
I wandered into the side of the property and front yard to rule those areas out. Pedro met me out front and it had been an hour and he needed to start getting ready for work. I could see he was losing hope that the bracelet wouldn’t be recovered. I told him I would go over the back yard one more time.
I put the detector into goldfield mode, which is the most sensitive mode. It will beep on everything. I went back to the gate to the back yard and started swinging again. I had new targets popping up that I didn’t hear before. One target near the edge of the fence caught my attention and when I looked closer to investigate, I saw a glimmer of gold reflecting the sunlight and I knew this was what I had been searching for!
I sat patiently and waited for Pedro to finish getting ready for work. He emerged from his house and his jaw dropped when he saw me standing there, holding his lost bracelet!

Item recovered July 2, 2025.
While I was unsuccessfully searching for a ring (second attempt) on St. Pete Beach, a young man named Quinn saw me from a distance and came running over to me asking for help locating a ring.
He and some friends were on a vacation from Canada and a couple nights prior, had a water balloon fight at night in the sand just behind the Mariner Beach Club on St. Pete Beach. One of his friends, who was recently married, lost his ring in the sand during the friendly fight. They all searched the sand multiple times while they picked up the balloon remnants from the sand with no luck. His friend that lost the ring flew back to Canada the day prior and Quinn was headed home in a couple days.
Quinn wasn’t sure what the ring looked like, or was made of, but he was able to show me the general area where it was lost. I had plenty of daylight left and the area wasn’t large, so I started to grid the area. The size of the sand area from the Mariner to the water is expansive, but was reduced in size due to a roped-off area protecting birds during nesting season, so this allowed me to focus on a smaller area.
I gridded from far to near, and as I drew closer to the resort, I started seeing small pieces of rubber balloon pieces and I knew I was in the right spot. 20 minutes later, I had hit a very good sounding target and located a men’s wedding ring. I was hopeful this was the lost ring!
I found Quinn who was grilling dinner and showed him the ring. He was excited, but needed to contact his buddy to confirm this was the missing ring. He grabbed his phone, set up a facetime call and his friend confirmed his lost ring was found!


Jason asked if I could look for his wedding band that he was sure was lost forever. Gave it a 3% chance of finding but had me look anyway for closure. He estimated it was lost on a sandbar in the gulf about 50 feet off shore and within a 250 linear foot sandbar. I Started a grid and found it just about in the center of the area. Jason was attending to his baby back at the condo when I found it but the rest of his family and in-laws were watching my progress from the beach. Everyone was impressed with the recovery thinking that the search was a folly. Jason was extremely happy and I’m sure the rest of his vacation was regret free. Glad I could help!


Bennie and his friends were enjoying the day along the Withlacoochee River swimming and taking turns swinging on a rope over the water. As Bennie let go of the rope he felt his gold ring come off of his finger and a sick feeling came over him. This was a very special ring given to him by his father 5 years ago and he has treasured it ever since. And now it had fallen into the depths of the silty river bottom! He and his friends tried diving down and feeling with their hands but the 8 foot depth and uneven bottom was more of a challenge than they could endure. Bennie called his mother and told her what happened and she went online and found Mr. Steve Thomas who is one of the Ring Finders in the West Florida area but unfortunately he only does shallow water and land searches so he recommended they call me to see if I could help them. After hearing their story I decided to meet them at the sight the following day. It was a 2 hour drive but we finally arrived and began setting up my PVC grid, my BLU3 Nemo dive system, mask, wet suit and fins. Bennie was very sure of where he and his ring fell into the water so down I went and began searching along my PVC grid that was setting on the bottom. The first 2 signals were deeper in the sand so I left them and the 3rd signal was louder on my hand held Pulse Dive unit and there sitting on top of the sandy bottom was Bennie’s lost gold ring! I really wanted to continue searching for other targets as the rope swing area was a favorite for the locals but I had noticed just before my entering the water that there was a group of people just waiting for me to finish up so they could enjoy jumping off of the tree and swinging on the rope…so I slowly ascended with Bennie’s gold ring tucked safely in my finds pouch. Bennie was intently watching me as I swam up to shore and as I smiled and gestured with a thumbs up…he began grinning from ear to ear! What a thrill it is to be able to conduct a search, find the lost item and then to return it to someone that is hurting and feeling a great heaviness and loss! And then to experience seeing them transform to happiness and joy and see more tears…only these are tears of sheer relief and thankfulness!
I always pray and ask God to help me be a blessing to each person that calls me for my assistance. How can I help you today? Call or text me ASAP and let’s talk! 321-363-6029
Mike McInroe…blessed to be a member of theringfinders.com
Earlier this week, I received a call from Michelle about a lost silver and gold ring in Avalon, NJ. Jane was enjoying a beautiful late afternoon with friends when a fun moment turned into a sudden panic.
While standing near the water’s edge, Jane was tossing clam shells into the ocean when she felt her precious silver and gold ring slip right off her finger. It was one of those slow-motion moments where you realize too late that something valuable is gone. Her heart sank as quickly as the ring did.
Thinking fast, Jane marked the area where the ring was lost by writing the word “HELP” in large letters in the sand. Smart move! This helped locate the spot with the metal detector a short time later.
Michelle and Jane were at beach, and she pointed out the area near the surf. We only had a short window of time before the incoming tide would wash away the sand and make the search more difficult, scanning the area with the metal detector.
After just a few passes, there was a strong signal. Digging carefully, scooped into the wet sand and there it was Jane’s silver and gold ring, safely recovered!
The look of relief and happiness on her face said it all. This ring wasn’t just jewelry—it held personal meaning and memories. Being able to return it was an absolute joy.
Another successful recovery at the Jersey Shore! If you ever find yourself in a similar situation—whether in Avalon or anywhere from Brigantine to Cape May—don’t panic. Reach out right away. Quick action makes all the difference, and we are happy to help!
Visit RingFindersSouthJersey.com or call/text 215-850-0188 if you’ve lost something valuable at the beach.
Shortly before 5 p.m. I received a call from Wendy saying she had lost her rings on the beach. She said I had been recommended and was wondering if I was available. At the time I was waiting on a contractor that was running late. I called the contractor and rescheduled for the next day. I didn’t want Wendy’s rings to sit out on the beach to long, especially on Sunset Beach. I called Wendy back and asked for her address for parking and told her I was on my way.
It was about a 30-minute drive, and I text her when I arrived in the driveway. When she came out of the house, we introduced ourselves and she led the way out to the beach. I got to meet her husband, John who had been guarding their suspected spot in the sand. She described her ring set, that wasn’t actually a set, but the two rings were soldered together. I turned on my machine and started an east/west grid search and covered the area John had marked off. I wasn’t getting any signals, so I kept the grid search going. After a few more lines, I got a solid 15-16 on the VDI (visual display indicator) and knew I had something. I took a scoop of sand and gently shook out the sand. John and I heard the clanking of metal in the scoop. Wendy had moved down the beach a little to talk to another couple and missed me taking the ring out and holding it up. John called out “He found it” and she immediately made her way back to me. I handed her the ring, and to say she was thrilled would be an understatement. We took a few pictures, and I got a hug from Wendy. I love helping people find their lost treasures.
Wendy and John – Thank you for trusting and allowing me to help find your treasure. Enjoy the rest of your vacation and have a safe trip back home to Ohio.
Jim.

4 July 2025. Jeffrey and Jocelyn had been married only 4 days when Jeffrey’s wedding band slipped into the ocean as he was scrubbing poison ivy from his fingers. Fortunately Anthony and Anishaa, a couple for whom I recovered a ring last August at the same beach, were nearby and they heard his plight and told him to call me. I was just returning from another call but was able to meet Jeffrey at the beach a short time later. He was quite specific about where and how he lost his ring, so the search was straightforward and I made the recovery within a few minutes from cobbles and gravel in knee-deep water. There were cheers all up and down the beach, and needless to say a huge smile from Jeffrey. Anthony and Anishaa came over and we all had a mini-celebration/reunion. It was great to experience this serendipitous circumstance where one Ringfinder success led to another almost a year later!
My immediately prior call was to find joined wedding/engagement rings thought to be lost in a 10′ x 10′ area of dry sand at a different beach. I made a thorough search of the area as well as a wide, surrounding area with no result. I explained that the ring must have come off somewhere else, perhaps in a bag or at another location before they arrived at the beach, even though the owner was certain that the beach location was correct. As it turned out, they called later to let me know that they found the rings in front of their beach house where the owner had been putting on sunscreen. The moral of the story: Memory can be tricky, so be sure to check out other possibilities, no matter how unlikely they may seem!

Jeffrey’s ‘4-day-old’ wedding ring.

Ring and recent groom reunited.

A happy couple, Jeffrey and his bride Jocelyn.

Jocelyn, Jeffrey, and Ringfinder ‘alums’ Anishaa and Anthony with me in a little celebration.
What to Do If You Lose Your Ring
Don’t let your lost ring become a memory. Whether it’s a wedding band at Malibu’s Point Dume or an heirloom in the sand at Santa Barbara’s Leadbetter Beach, Dave The RingFinder is ready to help. Call or text 805-290-5009 now to get your ring back!

Dave with another ring recovery

Another ring recovery for Dave The RingFinder

