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Lost Yellow Gold and Diamond Engagement Ring at Hickam Beach…FOUND!!!

  • from O‘ahu (Hawaii, United States)
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This ring find began when I got a text from Aaliyah from Green Bay, Wisconsin saying I was recommended by Don my fellow ring finder on Oahu.  Aaliyah stated, “I lost my engagement ring at Hickam Beach.  I’m wondering if you serve that area?”  She also texted it was on Monday and in the sand.  I called Aaliyah and agreed to meet her and her husband Wyatt at the beach before the next round of rain came in.  When I arrived at Hickam Beach Wyatt and Aaliyah were waiting.  They showed me the area and explained she had put the ring in her purse for safe keeping but many family members had been in her purse to get items and she believed at some point the ring must have fallen out.  Wyatt drew a grid box in the sand where they thought the ring would be.  Oahu has had a major storm the last few days and the Kona winds had punished this shore line.  The ring could have traveled in many directions.  I started the grid search and the first item I found was a gold plated cross.  I told them I think that’s a great sign,  Jesus is working with us.  I continued on and when I was on the second to last line of the grid I got a sweet solid tone center line dot on the Manticore and it was shallow.  One scoop and the target was acquired.  As a sifted the sand a tiny yellow gold ring with a big diamond came into view.  I grabbed the ring from the scoop and held it up so Aaliyah & Wyatt could see.  I told them it was one inch out of the grid so it probably wasn’t their ring.  “Just kidding” I said as I handed Aaliyah her ring.  I could see an expression of relief and disbelief at the same time.  The current storm system probably saved the day to keep other detectorists away and from finding her ring.  We were blessed!  Aloha to Aaliyah & Wyatt!

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Engagement Ring Recovered at St. Paul Animal Hospital – A Happy Surprise Ending!

  • from Chisago City (Minnesota, United States)
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My name is Paul Nolan with The Ring Finders. I was recently contacted by a woman who had lost her engagement ring while at work. She works the night shift at a local animal hospital in St. Paul and was taking a couple of patients (pets) outside for a potty break. Unbeknownst to her, one of the leashes somehow snagged and pulled her ring right off her finger. With no clear idea where it had come off in the dark, she was devastated.I told her I’d head out as soon as I could to help search. About three hours later, I arrived at the hospital. She met me in the parking lot, clearly heartbroken and emotional. I reassured her that these situations often have happy endings—we’d give it our best shot.It was a beautiful day: sunshine, about 45 degrees, a welcome break from the recent cold snap. We started the search at the spot where she’d begun her walk with the animals and methodically worked our way around the building, covering both sides of the driveway loop.We were about three-quarters of the way around, running out of likely areas, when she started to worry we’d missed it entirely. She was convinced the ring couldn’t be in the remaining stretch. We moved to a sidewalk along the road, bordered by a roughly 10-foot-wide grassy strip leading up to landscaping bushes at the front of the building. She walked the sidewalk while I grid-searched the grass uphill. I planned to split the area into two 5-foot-wide paths, each about 100 feet long. A sign post divided the access, so I went right and stuck to my line, intending to loop back along the sidewalk later. Just as I started into the grass, she looked down—and there it was! Her ring, lying about a foot into the grass right near the sidewalk edge. She spotted it herself and was absolutely elated. The relief and joy on her face were priceless. I’ve never really minded who actually makes the find—me with the detector or the owner with their eyes. What matters most is that the ring is recovered and back where it belongs, on the finger of someone who treasures it. We headed inside after the recovery, and the staff erupted in excitement. There was a lot of happy commotion—people congratulating her, hugging, celebrating. The attached photo captures that joyful (if slightly chaotic) moment of pure happiness. Another ring safely returned, and another grateful owner. If you’ve lost a ring or other precious jewelry, don’t hesitate to reach out—The Ring Finders are here to help!

Back where it belongs!

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Lost for 10 months – A Wedding Ring Recovery for Dusty in Jefferson County

  • from Knoxville (Tennessee, United States)
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I received a call from a lady named Dusty who had lost her wedding ring in her backyard about ten months ago. As you can imagine, after that much time had passed she had nearly given up hope of ever seeing it again. The ring meant a lot to her, and she had searched for it several times herself but just couldn’t locate it.
Dusty explained that she believed the ring slipped off while she was working outside in the backyard. She had looked over the area many times, but as most people quickly discover, a small gold ring can disappear instantly in grass and soil.
As I often tell people, time is usually of the essence when a ring is lost, but it’s never too late to look. Rings can sit hidden in the ground for months or even years waiting for the right metal detector to pass over them.
After searching online for help, Dusty came across The Ring Finders and my page, Phillip Mendez – Ring Finder, and decided to reach out.
When I arrived at her home, we walked through the backyard and talked about the day the ring went missing. Reconstructing the moment someone lost their ring can make a huge difference in narrowing down the search area. Once we identified the most likely spot, I began a careful grid search with my metal detector.
Before long, I heard a solid signal in the grass. After pinpointing the target and gently moving aside the grass and soil, there it was — Dusty’s wedding ring, sitting just below the surface after ten long months.
When I showed her the ring, the relief and excitement on her face made the entire search worthwhile. Something she thought was gone forever was suddenly back where it belonged.
Recoveries like this are exactly why I love doing what I do. To many people it’s just a piece of metal, but to the person who lost it, it represents memories and a lifetime of meaning.
Another successful recovery and a very happy ending.

If you’ve lost a ring in your yard, park, or shallow water, don’t give up hope. Even if it’s been months, it may still be right where it was.
—
Phillip Mendez

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Girls Weekend at Norris Lake

  • from Knoxville (Tennessee, United States)
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Sometimes a fun weekend can turn stressful in the blink of an eye—but with the right tools and a little persistence, a happy ending is still possible.
I received a message from Annie, who had been searching the internet trying to help her friend Kelly recover a lost ring. Kelly and a group of friends were enjoying a girls’ weekend at a lake house. They were all hanging out on the upper deck, laughing and having a great time.
At one point Kelly threw her hands up in excitement—and that’s when disaster struck.
All three of her rings flew off her fingers.
Two of the rings landed safely on the deck, but the third ring completely disappeared. After retracing what happened, they realized the ring had fallen roughly 70 feet from the upper deck down to the concrete below. The group believed it may have bounced and landed somewhere in the leaves surrounding the area.
That’s when Annie reached out to me.
When I got the call, I knew time was critical. I only had about an hour and a half before sunset, and the lake house was about a 45-minute drive away. As any metal detectorist knows, daylight can make all the difference during a search like this—especially when leaves and debris are involved.
I loaded up my gear and headed out as quickly as possible.
When I arrived, Kelly showed me where she had been sitting on the upper deck when the rings flew off. After surveying the area below, it was clear that the ring could have bounced anywhere among the leaves and debris near the concrete.
I fired up my detector and began a careful grid search of the suspected landing zone.
About 30 minutes into the search, I got the signal I was hoping for. Just under a layer of leaves near the concrete, my detector locked onto a solid target.
A quick sweep of the leaves—and there it was.
Kelly’s missing ring.
The relief and excitement from the group was immediate. What started as a stressful moment during their girls’ weekend ended with smiles, laughter, and a recovered ring.
It’s always rewarding to help turn a lost moment into a found memory.
Another successful recovery—and another reminder that it’s never too late to search for something that matters.
Phillip Mendez
Proud Member of The Ring Finders

Equinox 900 TID 25

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Wedding Ring Lost for 6 Months in Covington, Louisiana Garden – Found in Minutes with a Metal Detector

  • from New Orleans (Louisiana, United States)
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I received a message from Matthew who lost his White Gold ring in his garden area in back in October 2025. He no longer lived at the home so we coordinated with the current owners to ensure we were good to search the area for his lost wedding band. We met up at the house and within 3 minutes searching the garden area I was successful in recovering the lost ring. I used the Nokta Macro Simplex Ultra and Garrett AT propointer to make the recovery.

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Two Rings Lost in Minnesota Snow—Both Recovered in the Same Week! Persistence Pays Off

  • from Chisago City (Minnesota, United States)
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Searching for lost rings in the Minnesota winter comes with plenty of challenges beyond just the deep snow. The cold wreaks havoc on equipment—batteries drain faster, detectors act finicky—and it’s tough on the searcher too. Hands and feet chill quicker than they used to, and long hours in freezing temps test anyone’s endurance.But when a ring goes missing, it’s usually something deeply sentimental. That makes it worth every effort, no matter the season or conditions. I’ve had cases where the first search (or even the second or third) came up empty due to heavy snow and ice cover. Sometimes you have to step away, wait for better weather or less accumulation, and return when more ground opens up. Giving up isn’t an option—hope stays alive.Recently, I had two such recoveries that highlight this perfectly. In both cases, I’d searched multiple times without success, planned to return in a couple more weeks as warmer weather melted more snow, and then received excited texts from the owners: they’d found their rings themselves, right in the areas we’d been focusing on!Case 1: The Car-Brush Snow Loss
One gentleman lost his ring while brushing heavy snow (1–2 inches per hour!) off his car during a storm. We searched for about three hours that day, even coordinating with the snowplow driver to push the snow from the search area into a pile we’d check later. We checked under the hood, between the wipers, everywhere we could think of—no luck. The ring had vanished, possibly into that relocated snow pile.As the thaw progressed, the snow melted just enough, and there it was—spotted and recovered right where we’d suspected. The melt revealed what repeated detector sweeps in deep cold couldn’t quite reach.
Case 2: The Driveway Cleaning Mishap
The other was lost while the owner was clearing his driveway. Multiple thorough searches turned up nothing, with snow and ice still hiding signals and limiting access. But as warmer days arrived and snow receded, the ring appeared in the open—found by the owner before my scheduled return visit.In both instances, the rings surfaced in the exact zones we’d narrowed down through careful, persistent searching. The owners were thrilled, incredibly appreciative of the time and effort invested, and quick to share their joy—even though they made the final finds themselves.Congratulations to both of these guys on getting their precious rings back! We never gave up hope, and neither did they. Sometimes a little patience and a timely thaw make all the difference.
Winter ring hunts remind us: lost doesn’t always mean gone forever. If you’ve lost something special in the snow (or anywhere else), reach out—no matter the weather. We’ll keep trying until it’s back where it belongs.

  

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White Gold Wedding Set lost at the beach…Recovered in Alameda!!!

  • from Walnut Creek (California, United States)
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The Bay Area Ring Finders Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590

I was on a short holiday on the island of Kauai when I received a text message from Kimberly.  She had lost her white gold wedding set on the beach and contacted my good friend Jes Muse (also of The Ring Finders and creator of The Bay Area Bleepers YouTube channel).  Jes had provided my contact information to her since I am usually ready and available for all rings in the East Bay.

I sent a text back to Kimberly explaining that I was in Hawaii and would be flying back that day. I informed her that I wouldn’t be available until the following day but would be glad to assist. Additionally, I let her know that I would reach out to schedule a time to meet up for the search.

The following day was frustratingly filled with meetings, emails, and project issues, not the day one should have after a relaxing trip.  I ended up working late to get caught up and I had to let Kimberly know that the search would need to wait an extra day (not something I am accustom to doing).

Excited to get out and search, I took my kit with me to work so that I could travel direct to the beach in Alameda for the search.  I knew that the tides would be at their lowest just after quitting time and that’s when I would have the best search area.

I met Kimberly and her adorable children on the beach and she explained the situation.  I gave her and each child a cone to place where they thought the ring could be (a little fun and healthy competition). At this time, I had little doubts that I would find these two rings quickly.

I was humbled a bit, when after about 45 minutes of grid search in two directions I still had not uncovered the mystery.  With a little adjustment closer towards the water, I was on my fourth or fifth line, when I hit a sweet signal.  A perfect 7 in all directions, I was able to recover the diamond engagement ring without alerting Kimberly or the kids.  I swung over the hole again and a second perfect 7.

I called Kimberly over and informed her “I think there might be a ring underneath the sand here and it might be the match to this one…” as I held out the diamond ring for her inspection.  She was floored and had the absolute best look of disbelief, joy, and relief on her face.  Then with one last scoop…We Made The Recovery!!!

Both rings were safely extracted from the sand and as for the competition…turns out the little boy was closest.

Thank you Kimberly for taking me on this adventure with you and the children.  The look on your face when you realized I had found your engagement ring will forever be burned into my memory.

 

 

 

 

 

The Bay Area Ring Finders Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP     925-580-2590

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Buried Cache of Gold and Silver Recovered on Out of State search in United States

  • from Las Vegas (Nevada, United States)
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Got a call from out of state, to look for a buried box of silver and gold and family items. A father, with dementia, had buried his savings somewhere on their four acre plot of land a number of years ago. It was thought to have been buried in an old military amo box about 4 feet deep. They had been digging areas with an excavator and sifting the soil for weeks. They purchased a two box deep seeking metal detector to no avail. Thus the call. There was quite a distance involved, but the challenge and agreements made, I succumbed. I committed to a two day search all expenses paid expedition. Since it was believed to be in a amo box, I brought a Fisher M97, my XP Deus 1&2 and an amo box for readings. Using my 13 inch coil, a modified relic program, searching with the coil about 9 inches above the ground and a lot of luck, I had a good hit, but high numbers. I knew a amo box would be high. I used a 4 foot steel probe and felt the soil was easier to penetrate than surrounding soil and I hit something solid, but not metal. Bring in the excavator! At 85 I don’t dig four foot holes. Two scoops, first hole, success!!!  Box was plastic but high numbers were because of the silver coins and bullion he had collected. The one gold coin didn’t seem to have much affect on the readings. Father united with his savings.

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IPhone lost in the Dry Sand, Found and Returned Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)
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On March 12, 2026, around 1:15pm I got a text message from Mike, owner of LMS Metal Detecting saying, Jim, you should be getting a call about a lost phone in MB up near the dunes. His name is Hunter. Just before 2 pm, Hunter called asking if I could help find an IPhone, I agreed, got the address and was on my way.

When I got to the beach access, I called Hunter to say I was there. He said he was about 10 minutes away but told me to go to the house on the left and somebody there could direct me to the location. Spencer and Scott had just driven in the driveway. We introduced ourselves and they showed me down to the beach and the area where they said the phone was pinging. I turned on the Equinox 800, took about 3-5 steps and got a booming signal with a VDI (visual display indicator) showing numbers jumping between 28-32. Bingo! I dug a shallow scoop of sand and uncovered the cell phone. The search lasted no more than 10 seconds. As we’re standing there, Hunter and Jacob walked out on the beach. This is when I learned the phone belonged to Jacob. He turned on the phone and said, “It works!” I could see the relief on Jacob’s face when he got his phone back and it worked.

Hunter – Thanks for calling me to help!

Jacob – Glad I could help find your phone. You guys have fun and be safe.

Jim

 

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Gold Wedding Ring Lost In The Portland, Maine Snow, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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On Monday, March 9th, I received the following voicemail

“Hey, my name is Patrick. I got your telephone number off of your Facebook page for finding rings. I was hoping you’d be able to find mine. I mean, Portland. If you give me a call. Um, I’d appreciate it. My cell phone number is 860-***-****. Thank you
I called Patrick back immediately after listening to his voicemail, at 2:15pm. I asked Patrick what had happened and he relayed the story that he was building a new porch and front stairs , in Portland Maine. About 45 minutes earlier he noticed his wedding ring, of almost 10 years, was no longer on his finger. He stopped what he was doing and searched the sidewalk, in front of the area he had been working. Patrick had been cutting wood, , building the porch/stairs and walking back and forth to his work van, parked on the street. The ring was not seen and that was when Patrick called me. Patrick had to leave and be in Waterboro, for 3:30pm, to pick his children up, when they got off the bus. It was now just after 2:30pm and I told Patrick I would load my metal detector up and head right right in. My concern, as well as Patricks was that anyone walking past the house, would be able to see the ring and just pick it up. Time is of the essence, when jewelry is lost in public spaces.
As Cheryl and I were driving in, Patrick texted me and told me , “Ive got someone to get the kids off the bus so I’ll be here when you get here. Thank you!” Perfect!!! Cheryl and I arrived a short time later and Patrick showed me the areas of a few snowbanks, some leaves and under the new set of stairs. I asked Patrick a bunch of questions, as I always do. Patrick wasn’t 100% sure he had the ring on, when he left the house, but was pretty sure. He thought the ring may be under the porch, in all the leaves. So, now I just need to grid search the area, snow banks, along the house and under the porch. I grabbed my Manticore and started at the snow bank, to the left of the porch and on the other side of the sidewalk. Nothing found, in the snow. I then moved across the sidewalk and started searching the leaves, along the house. Still no wedding ring but lots of the usual trash. I then was searching underneath the porch but wasn’t getting any targets. Patrick was removing the remaining leaves from underneath the porch, with a rake. As Patrick was still removing leaves the leaves, I went to the small area of snow, just to the right of the porch. Still no ring. I turned towards the street and started searching the snow bank, on the other side and along the sidewalk. As I started searching I received a nice sounding target , ringing up between 32-34, on the VDI screen. As I looked closer, I could see the partial shape of a ring, in the snow, but hidden by a leaf. I looked at Patrick and told him that I had found his ring. He looked stunned and walked over to me. I then reached down, moved the leaf, picked the ring up and asked Patrick if that was his ring. Patrick verified it was his ring and a big smile broke out across our faces.
Patrick then told Cheryl and I he’s had the ring for almost 10 years. He will be celebrating his 10th anniversary on March 21st. WOW!!! He lost his wedding ring just 12 days before his 10th Anniversary. Thankfully we were able to find this extremely sentimental wedding ring and fast. Patrick and his wife will now be able to celebrate a milestone anniversary without any stress of trying to find his ring. This is a perfect example of why I love doing this. This ring meant everything to Patrick and I just get the best feeling, to be able to find these special pieces of jewelry. There is no better feeling, in the world, than to see the joy, happiness and smiles on people’s faces, when they get their ring back.
Another smile on the pile and another ring back on the finger. I love my job, it the best job in the world 😀❤️🙏

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