You want me to look WHERE for your wife’s ring? Is this a joke?
I got a text from Pat on 10-12-2023 and he asked if I would respond to Calaveras County, CA, about an hour from where I live to help look for his wife’s wedding ring that she lost just last night. Pat had contacted another RingFinder before contactiung me, but that RingFinder was not available until the following day. It all worked out, because it had been my intent to go metal detecting on this day anyway. When I asked Pat if his wife, Renee, knew the area where she lost her wedding ring, he said it was either in their bedroom, or in a PIG PEN. Pat’s wife had been in and out of their sow’s birthing pen off and on all night, to make she the sow was alright during the birthing process. As an animal lover myself, I understood all of this. I told Pat I’d at his place in about an hour. He told me that Renee would be anxiously waiting for me.
Renee explained that her wedding ring was comprised not only of the diamonds from her original wedding ring that Pat got her, but also had diamonds from some pinky rings that had belonged to her now-deceased father. She also had sapphires mounted on the ring, which are Pat’s birthstone. When I saw pictures of the ring, my jaw dropped. This would be the most beautiful ring I had ever searched for, and I was determined to find it and re-unite it with Renee.
Since Renee said she had been grabbing fresh straw from two different locations near the birthing pen, I started searching those areas with my metal detector. I figured I’d let the momma pig and her two piglets rest. Then after about an hour of searching these other areas, it was time to crawl into the birthing pen, kind of like a big doghouse, to look for the ring. Momma pig was still exhausted, and the newborn piglets were too, so I just crawled in there with them. It was a little cramped to use my Equinox 800, even with the DetectEd carbon fiber shaft collapsed all the way, so out came the XP Mi-6 pinpointer. The first two dozen targets were found to be nails or screws used in the construction of the birthing pen, but then another squealing sound and vibration from the Mi-6, and there it was. The ring was found on top of the wood flooring, covered with about six to eight inches of compacted straw hay.
Now for the fun part. Before the search even started, Renee had asked me if I could run the metal detector her animals (dogs, pigs and chickens) in the event the animal had found the ring and swallowed the shiny object. I told her I could absolutely do that, but that would be done after I searched the pig pen and birthing area first. This request gave me the idea to try the old “pull a ring out of someone’s ear” trick. I scanned her first weiner dog and of course, the detector did not give off a signal. When she brought her other weiner dog out, I scanned the body area with the Equinox 800 and again, no signal. (The detector wasn’t even turned on). With Renee’s ring on my left index finger, cupped in my palm, I reached under the floppy ear of the weiner dog, and there it was, Renee’s beautiful ring. Renee was elated beyond words. She immediately gave me a big hug and thanked me repeatedly. What a great feeling to find such an incredible ring for such a nice couple. Renee thought she’d never see the ring again. Unfortunately, not all searches end this way, but it just goes to show what some exceptional metal detecting equipment and determination can do. When I say determination, I mean crawling into a birthing pen with a 250+ pound momma pig and her newborn piglets. No animals or humans were harmed in any way during this search.
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Dave, my Son-In-Law got a call Tuesday morning from Gina asking could he please help her find her Father’s ring in the Gulf of Mexico. David had to work that day so he asked me to help Gina. Her Father had since passed away and she was overwrought emotionally and ardently sentimental about the loss of his heirloom. To Gina the ring is a significant and permanent connection spirituality with her Father that was on her finger everyday and just had to be reclaimed. The ring was lost in about waist deep water at low tide but the horizontal plain was quiet large, perhaps 300 to 400 feet. Another factor revolved around the weather forecast. A tropical system was forecast to arrive that evening with large surf and gale force winds. If the ring wasn’t recovered before the weather arrived the probability of recovery would be significantly diminished. The beach she visited is part of the Gulf Islands Seashore and Park Management does not allow metal detection in the Park without a Special Permit. I have performed several recoveries of property for Gulf Islands Guests in the pass and contacted Park Staff for a permit only to learn that everyone was gone this day. The Park had an All-Hands-On-Deck wildfire in progress and I couldn’t get in touch with anyone. After several hours I did get in touch with a staff member who said to send an email requesting a permit and (in not so many words) that should cover my back. Because lots of time had passed in travel and permit issue and with weather issues on the horizon and most importantly, because Gina put her trust in me and I couldn’t fathom disappointing her, I arrived on the beach in early afternoon and Gina was their waiting on me. The search took about 4 hours before I heard the unmistakable vivacious, exuberant, resonance of gold. I immediately broke into a wide grin that got Gina’s attention. I exited the water and returned her ring to her hand and she put it back on the finger where it belongs. Both David and I are more that happy that we were able to made things right for Gina that day! 
I got called Saturday morning from John asking if I could help in finding his wedding band. He thought it was lost in a rather small area on the sandy beach, which he was standing guard over so no one would disturb the sand causing it go deeper. Both he and his wife were most concerned something would happen and his ring would be lost forever and could I come right away. I arrived about 45 minutes later and got to know John as we searched the area he thought contained his ring. John is from Mississippi and loves the outdoors and hadn’t been married that long. But this day he wasn’t happy, having lost his ring. He claimed I needed to find the ring to save his marriage, I’m sure just hyperbole. He had consulted with his friends back home about how to proceed, thought about buying a metal detector but someone had hear of us and recommended Pensacola Ring Finders as a more economical route. We couldn’t find it in the logical area so after brainstorming his activity determined when he moved a cooler the ring may have been sent sailing in a south easterly direction. So I searched that area and kept expanding and indeed found this ring in the steep slope leading to the water. It was found probably 40 feet from were he moved the cooler. Needless to say he was happy and impressed that I could find such a small item in such a large area. He said he was going to get a detector when he got home to do some detecting in Mississippi around where he lives. I said if he needed partners to hunt with we would be happy to assist! 
I met Jeff and Mandi at Orange Beach Alabama where they were enjoying a week of rest and relaxation at the beach when Jeff lost his wedding ring. This ring held unfathomable sentimental significance that culmination in a romance that spanned more that 30 years. The story began when Jeff and Mandi met at the University of Southern Alabama. They became very close while in College and frequented the area attractions including the beaches. Their favorite spot was Fairhope and more specifically the Fairhope Pier that over looked Mobile Bay. Some time near graduation they were visiting the Pier and Jeff proposed presenting an engagement ring, Mandi accepted! But it was not to be, much later Mandi returned the engagement ring and they went in different directions. But they stayed friends and because of the family connections stayed in touch. Twenty five years later, the romance rekindled. They were living in different states and developed a long distance relationship. After several years, they were vacationing near the beaches and Fairhope, which Mandi says is her “Happy Place”, and they decide to visit the pier. Once again Jeff proposed and gave her the same engagement ring from 30 years before! This time she accepted forever! Unbeknownst, their families got wind of the proposal and brought the party with them, to the pier! They were finally married after about 30 years, which brings us to the present when I recovered Jeff’s wedding band. In the picture above you can see the engraving inside the band. The entire engraving reads. At Last Love Mandi. Mandi showed me the ring that was given to her thirty years earlier and again four years ago. The day I recovered Jeff’s ring the surf was quite rough several waves broke over my head, but Jeff’s ring was found in about 3 minutes. I went right to it. I can’t help but think that I was meant to find it and return it to this super couple as testament to their faith, perseverance and love!