Jim Wren, Author at The Ring Finders | Page 7 of 31

2 Rings, Rose Gold and Signet Rings Lost in the Dry Sand, Found and Returned North Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

On Tuesday at 5 pm, I got a call from Klint asking if I could help find a ring in the dry sand. The ring had been placed in the cup holder of a chair, forgotten until the chairs were folded up and slung over a shoulder. The ring quickly disappeared in the soft sand.

I told him I needed to run by the house and get my gear and would be on my way. About 5:15 I sent him a text saying I was on my way and would be there in 13-14 minutes.

When I arrived, Klint was waiting for me in the parking garage, and we made our way out to the beach. He showed me the 10X10 foot area and I started a north/south grid. Shortly after I started my grid, Klint’s son Johnny and Johnny’s girlfriend Addy showed up. At that point I learned I was looking for two rings, one was a Rose Gold ring, and the other was a silver-colored signet ring. I was a little out of the search area when I got a strong signal and looked down and saw a piece of the signet ring sticking out of the sand. As I reached down and picked it up, Johnny spotted the Rose Gold ring within inches of the signet ring and again partially sticking out of the sand. He reached down and picked up that ring. An instant smile and a sign of relief came across Addy’s face. We had another happy ending to a near sad situation.

Johnny and Addy – I wish you all the best.

Klint – Thank you for calling me and allowing me to help find Addy’s lost treasures. Enjoy your vacation.

Jim

     

Man’s White Gold Wedding Band Lost in the Ocean, Found and Returned in North Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

This little adventure started Monday evening, June 14th, when my wife sent me a screen shot from the North Myrtle Beach FB page saying in part, “Lost men’s white gold wedding band, in shallow water near 15th Ave South NMB. Please contact me if found. Thank you!” I looked up the post to see if I could get any more details and noticed 3 or 4 comments on there to contact me. I also left a comment saying, “If I can help, please call me” along with a link to my ring finder blog page to show her I was legit. I also sent her a message with the same information and added that low tide was in about an hour, and this would be the time to search. Roughly two hours later I got a message on my business suite saying, “Hi, my husband lost his wedding ring today in the waterfront of Carolina reef in NMB – wanted to see if you are able to help locate it/now your service works. Thank you so much in advance.” I responded to her message and also asked her to call me; it’s so much faster and clearer than texting back and forth. She called and I got the details and told her I could be there in 15 minutes.

When I arrived, I met Kelly and her husband, Ed as they came out of the elevator in the parking garage. This was the perfect scenario for losing/finding a ring lost in the ocean. He had lost it between 3:30-4:00 pm, which was within 30-45 minutes of high tide and was between knee and waist deep water. He had been playing catch with his daughter and while reaching to catch the ball, it hit his left hand knocking the ring into the ocean. When I got there it was a little over an hour after low tide, so I had a lot of the beach in the suspected search area that was just wet sand. Kelly and Ed put me in the area they knew was where he lost it. I started an east/west perpendicular to the beach grid search. On my 6th or 7th line I got a solid 18 on the Nox 800. This was a little higher than I expected for a man’s white gold wedding band, but I was confident I had found his ring. Dug a scoop of sand out and laid it on the beach, drug my foot over the pile to spread it out, and saw just a little sliver of Ed’s ring sticking out of the sand. I reached down and picked it up, shined my head lamp on it and said something like, “here’s your ring.” They both were kind of frozen; I don’t think they thought there was much chance of finding their ring, especially in the dark. They were excited, shocked, and very grateful all at the same time.  I love doing this!!!

Kelly and Ed – thanks for letting me help find your lost treasure. Enjoy the rest of your vacation and stay safe.

Jim

     

Tungsten Wedding Band Lost in the Sand, Found and Returned Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

Corey called me around 4:45 pm on Sunday, asking if I could help find his wedding band he had lost. The first question I always ask is, “was it lost in the dry sand, wet sand, or in the water.” He responded, “Dry sand.” This was the second dry sand call of the day, which I like – A lot!! I ask him where he was at, and he told me the resort name in Myrtle Beach. I told him I’d be there in 20-25 minutes, grabbed my Nox 800 and was on the road.

When I got to the resort and made my way out on the beach, I called him. He told me he was in a white hat, and I saw him waving. As I got to the spot, I noticed one of the ladies in his party on her hands and knees searching for the ring. As I got closer, I told her she was wasting her time. Corey showed me the 2X6 foot area and told me that he was moving stuff out of a child’s playpen and noticed the ring had come off. I turned my machine on and jokingly said “20 seconds.” Tungsten rings usually are 18 on the Nox, so I knew what I was looking for. A couple of steps to the left and I got a strong 22 but showing too deep to be a ring lost within the last hour or so. That signal turned out to be a Yeti cup sitting in one of the chairs. I turned around and scanned the area around the playpen. Two swings and I got the 18 I was looking for. Scooped it out of the sand, shook the sand out and got the rattle of his ring in the scoop. He looked so relieved and said his wife was up in the room upset. They still have almost a week on vacation, so this will be a great vacation now.

Corey – Thanks for trusting me to help find your lost treasure. Have a great vacation.

Jim

     

2-Month-Old Yellow Gold Wedding Band Lost in the Sand, Found and Returned Ocean Isle Beach NC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

On Sunday, at 12:45 pm, I got a call from Connelly asking if I was available to help find his wedding band on Ocean Isle Beach, NC. My first question was, “dry sand, wet sand, or in the water?” He replied, “In the dry sand,” which is a blessing when you don’t have to get in the ocean. I asked where on Ocean Isle and he replied next to the pier. I told him I’d be there in about 30-45 minutes. Grabbed my Equinox 800 and was on my way.

When I arrived, I met Connelly in the parking lot of the Inn they were in front of on the beach. As we were walking out on the beach I asked him for details. Basically, they were setting up their little spot and he noticed his ring had fallen off. We got to the spot, and I met his wife, Stephens. Connelly showed me the 3 x 5-foot area the ring should be in, and I asked him what type ring it is. He stated yellow gold and 14k. Turned on my machine and looked at him and Stephens and said, “Under a minute.” With yellow gold, I was expecting a VDI (visual display number) in the high teens, around 17-19. Two steps and I got a banging 20, dug it up, shook the sand out of the scoop and heard the rattle of his ring. Handed him his ring and got an instant smile on both his and Stephens’ face. Vacation was back on track. Stephens told me he’d only had the ring for 2 months, so now they have another chapter for their story of their rings. I asked how they found me, and Connelly said that Stephens is a good friend of a repeat customer, Cori I’ve had. Stephens had text Cori and told her about the lost ring and Cori told her to call me.

Cori – Thank you!!

Connelly and Stephens – Thank you for trusting me to help find your lost treasure.

Jim

 

White Gold Wedding Band Lost On Holden Beach NC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

On Sunday, July 7th, I was driving the 40-minute drive home from a combined 4-hour back-to-back ring searches when I got the following text. “I am at Holden Beach. My adult daughter has lost her wedding ring this afternoon, we think in or around the pool. Can you help? Thomas” Before I turned around and made the 50 plus minute drive to Holden, I had a stop to make. I also planned on stopping by my house and at least saying hello to my wife, who refers to herself as ‘The Ring Finder Widow,’ who I hadn’t seen all day. I called Thomas to let him know my plan and in the course of the conversation I started asking questions. I found out that his daughter was throwing a ball to her son when she noticed the ring gone. I asked if the pool had a drain in the bottom or a filtering system. His response was no drain, and the filtering system was on the top part of a side wall. Next, I asked what was around the pool, concrete or grass. He responded that there were wood slats and that her ring wouldn’t fit between the slates even if he tried pushing it through. Ok, process of elimination, I asked what was beyond the wooden slates. He stated that there was a little bare area and then rocks. Ah ha! I told him I had a couple of stops and would be up there in about an hour and a half. Before we hung up, I told him that when I get there the rocks are going to be the first place I’d look.

When I got back in the car from the first stop, I checked my text. Tom had sent me a text saying “We found it! In the rocks. Your logical approach solved it.” I immediately called him, and he thanked me for my help. I wish all my searches were this easy!

Tom – Thank you for calling and trusting me to help find your daughter’s ring. So happy it all turned out good!

Jim

White Gold Engagement Ring Lost in the Sand Playing Volley Ball, Found and Returned Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

I got a call from Tiffany just before 3 pm on Saturday, July 6th, asking about The Ring Finders. She said she had lost her Engagement Ring while playing volleyball. She also stated that her husband was on his way to buy a metal detector. I told her I could be there in 30 minutes and suggested she call her husband and tell him not to buy a detector. I told her that if he didn’t know how to use one, he’d be wasting his money. She agreed on me coming and she’d call her husband. She told me that she was in the Kingston Plantation Rental Complex waiting by the volleyball court. This has a guard at the entrance and sometimes it’s harder to get in there than other times. This time the guard looked at me with a puzzled look when I told him I was looking for a lady’s engagement ring, but he gave me a visitor pass and let me through.

I called Tiffany when I got through the gate, and she was still waiting for me on the court. I made my way around a pickle ball court and down a path to the volleyball court, which couldn’t be seen from the parking lot. I met Tiffany standing by the court and she showed me where she had been standing and the direction she hit the ball. I turned on my Equinox 800 and confirmed I was looking for white gold. When she confirmed the metal, I knew I was looking for a VDI (visual display indication) in the 6 to 8 range. I took 4 steps and got a solid 7. Bingo!!! I used my foot to push a small amount of sand in the scoop, lightly shook the sand out and saw her ring. She was extremely excited when I handed her ring back to her.

Tiffany – Thank you for calling me and trusting me to help find your lost treasure!

Jim

   

One Year Anniversary Vacation Saved, Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

Shortly after 11 am on Tuesday, July 2nd, I received a text from Lora that said in part, “What kind of fee do you charge? My husband lost his ring!!!” I responded telling her, “I do this on a reward/gratuity basis. Call me so I can get the details” along with my phone number. When she called, I found out her husband, Mike had lost his ring the previous evening at about 8:30 pm while looking for shells. She gave me the hotel name and I told her I could be there in about 15 minutes. When we got off the phone, I looked up the hotel and found out it’s in Myrtle Beach and not North Myrtle Beach like I thought. I called her back to confirm Myrtle instead of North Myrtle, which she did. Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle beach are too separate cities but have exactly the same street numbers, so it gets confusing for both locals and tourist. Now that I got it straight, I told her I’d be there in about 30 minutes. She told me that her and Mike were out and about and they wouldn’t be there to show me the area. She was able to give me a pretty good idea of where I needed to search so I wouldn’t be wondering around aimlessly.

I text her when I arrived on the beach, and she responded back that they were heading back. Looking at the tide tables when Lora first called, Mike lost his ring about 2 hours before low tide. By the time I arrived I was about an hour after low tide, so I didn’t have a lot of time to search. I started a north/south parallel to the beach search right at the water line. When Lora and Mike showed up, I got a few more details. Mike was in the water, maybe shin deep and taking cupped hands full of water and throwing up towards the beach. With this new info, I changed to a perpendicular east/west grid search and a few yards outside the suspected search area. I told Lora and Mike that they didn’t need to stick around, and I’d call them either way. With the east/west search I was getting in the water to about thigh deep. I knew Mike’s heavy Titanium ring would ring up in the mid 20’s on the Equinox 800, so I was confident I had found his ring. After digging a scoop of sand and spreading it out on the beach, I saw Mike’s ring peeking up through the sand. I took a picture of the ring and sent it to Lora saying, “Kiss and make up.” I called her and all she could say was “OMG” about 4 times. Then she said, “we’re on our way.” When they arrived, I got a big hug from Lora and a strong handshake from Mike. That’s when I learned they were in Myrtle Beach celebrating their one-year wedding anniversary. This will be one they will never forget!!!

Lora/Mike – Thank you for trusting me to find your lost treasure. Wish you all the best and many many more Anniversaries, but none to match this one!

Jim

 

Water Main Meter and Shut off Box Covered and Lost, Found in Longs, SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

I got a call shortly before 2:30 pm on Sunday, June 30th from Perry asking if I could help find the Water Meter and shut off that had been covered up with dirt and new grass. I asked him to send me the address and I’d be there in about 15 minutes. Before I left my house, I ran my detector over my own water box to see what numbers on the Nox 800 I was looking for.

When I arrived, I met Perry in the driveway, and he showed me the suspected area. He also filled in the details as to what happened. Back in October of 2023, a local telephone and cable company was installing cable optics and broke the water line in the process. The company fixed the water line but drug their feet on fixing the yard. During the course of repair, the company brought in heavy equipment that sat idle for a couple of days. During those two days, the machine sank in the soil adding additional damage to the yard. Fast forward 8 months and the yard looks good with nice green grass. Within the last week or so, Perry’s neighbor asked if he knew where her water shut off box was. Perry had taken a picture of the area and thought he knew where it was. After probing the area with a 6 ft pole, he wasn’t able to find it. In the process of my search, Perry’s wife Shelley joined us and we were trying to figure out where this target was. I did the small area that was in the picture and nothing. I expanded out about two feet from the street and got the signal I was looking for. Perry dug the dirt and grass off the top of the meter, and everything was good again.

Perry/Shelley – thanks for allowing me to help find the lost water meter box.

Jim

 

 

Man’s Tungsten Wedding Band Lost in the Sand, Found and Returned Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

On Saturday, June 15th at about 1:45 pm, I received a text message from Haley saying, “Hey I was wondering if you could help me. My husband lost his wedding band at Myrtle Beach while we were there. We know around what place he lost it on the beach, but we don’t have a metal detector and are actually home from vacation now.” I asked her to call me so I could get the details of when, where and how. During the phone call she told me the hotel they were staying at, the day it was lost and that it was lost in the dry sand. She was one of five calls I had for the day, but number two on the list due to the location. After a successful recovery and return in Wrightsville Beach NC I headed 80 plus miles to the address she gave me in Myrtle Beach, SC. She had also sent me a few pictures of the hotel. When I arrived, I started a grid search from the south end of the hotel working my way north. About halfway through the search I called her to verify about where behind the hotel they were sitting. She told me they were closer to the north end, which was good because I hadn’t gotten that far yet. Unfortunately, there was a lot of trash, coins and junk in the dry sand that took up a lot of extra time digging. Finally, I got a solid 10 VDI (visual display indication) on the Nox 800. Lower than what I expected for a tungsten ring but possible depending on the size of the ring. I dug the shallow target and bingo! I checked the engraving, both on the inside and outside and had a match from what Haley had told me. I took a quick picture and text it to her. She responded almost immediately saying “That’s it.” She called me and I got her address and told her I stick it in the mail Monday.

Fast forward to Thursday June 20th and I got notification through tracking that the ring was delivered to the PO Box. I text Haley and she was going to check and see if it showed up. She responded that she had gotten a yellow slip in the box, but she’d have to wait until the next day to pick it up. Today, Friday, she text me saying “I got the ring, and I will get a picture of me and Jake with it whenever he gets home from work.” A few hours later, I got a great picture of the happy couple holding Jacob’s ring.

Haley and Jacob – Thank you for trusting me to help find and return you precious treasure. Take care of each other!

Jim

 

Man’s White Gold Wedding Band Lost in the Surf, Found and Returned Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

About 7:30pm on June19th I got a text message from Matt saying “Hi, I saw a post on the internet about finding lost rings on the beach? Not sure if I’m even reaching out to the correct person.” I called the number associated with the text and spoke to Matt. He told me that he was playing in the sand with the kids pretty close to the water line. When they left the beach, he noticed his wedding band was gone. He told me this happened sometime between one and three pm. Low tide for the day was 11:59am, so basically, he was right at low tide. We made arrangements to meet today, June 20th at 11 am. This would give me time to work the outgoing tide that was at 12:45pm.

We met at his resort at 11am and walked out on the beach. He pointed to the suspected area, and wouldn’t you know it, there’s a family of about 6 sitting right on top of where I needed to search. I started my grid search perpendicular to the beach and passed just to the north of the family. On my return line I stopped short of the family and made my turn. I hit an iffy target that I tried digging out of the hole. The signal wasn’t what I expected, and I couldn’t get it out of the hole. So, I left it alone for the time being. I turned around for my next line and noticed the family had moved further up the beach, I figure Matt said something to them, which was nice that they moved. About halfway back, I hit the signal again which wasn’t any better, but I was determined to get it out of the hole. About 3 scoops of wet sand and I had it out of the hole. I dumped the sand out on the beach, ran the coil over it and boom. Got the signal I was looking for. I spread the sand out with my foot and then used my fingers to move the sand. Saw it peeking out and picked it up. I washed it off and handed it to Matt. Matt’s wife Janet had been watching from their spot on the beach and quickly made her way to where we were. Matt and Janet were greatly relieved that Matt’s ring had been found. Vacation Saved!!!

Matt/Janet – Thank you for trusting me to help find your lost treasure. Enjoy the rest of your vacation and have a safe trip back home.

Jim