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Mulch-Pile Class Ring Lost and Found! – Elm Grove, WI

  • from Menomonee Falls (Wisconsin, United States)
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It took the cooperation of several individuals to successfully recover Claudia Roedl’s cherished Arizona State University 2013 Class Ring. The 10 Karat gold ring went missing late Saturday afternoon, October 15th.

Claudia, an Elm Grove, Wisconsin resident and volunteer firefighter, was doing some fall clean up around her house. Three large bags of leaves and grass clippings bore evidence of a hard day’s work. It was towards the end of the day. The local recycle station would soon be closing. But Claudia made the short trip just in time and remembered shaking out the contents of the large bags into the heap of vegetative debris. It was on her way home that Claudia was horrified to discover her treasured ring missing!

Her mind went into immediate rewind mode remembering moments during the day when she got on and off her lawn tractor, filling recycle bags, raking and working to prepare for the coming winter. Most of all, Claudia pictured the formidable mound of foliage at the recycle station. Deep down, she fought hard against the idea that her ring, tangible evidence of four hard-earned education degrees, was lost forever.

I received a text message from Claudia that same evening. She had started to investigate renting a metal detector when she stumbled across The Ring Finder’s directory of metal-detecting specialists. Would I help? And where to start?

It was not clear whether the ring was lost at Claudia’s home or at the recycle station. Time was not so much an issue if the ring was somewhere in her yard, but if it was buried in the recycle mound, the clock was ticking… and fast!

A succession of phone calls through the night with some people in high places, made it possible for an attendant to open the gates early the next day, on a Sunday. Firefighters certainly do look out for each other!

Any hope that the pile of debris had been left undisturbed from the previous afternoon was shattered when we saw that the mound had been consolidated by a well-meaning worker using a 154-horsepower Hyundai loader with its 3-cubic yard bucket. Finding a postage-stamp-sized piece of metal in amongst such a massive heap of vegetative material was akin to finding a needle in a proverbial haystack. And was the ring even there?

The task was made significantly easier when a site superintendent showed up with what can only be described as every metal-detectorist’s dream tool—the Hyundai loader! Working together we used a divide-and-conquer approach, sifting through one bucket at a time. It was nearly an hour later and barely half way into the mound when I picked up a solid signal in my headphones. The data on my controller was likewise promising. But when I began to investigate, the signal vanished. Try as I might, I could not find it again.

Similar situations occur, I’ve learned over the years, when searching for targets under water. Gold, being a heavy, dense, metal, tends to dive when the area around it is disturbed. The porous vegetation, once moved, would allow a ring like Claudia’s to drop into the crevices beneath. I continued with this premise, carefully removing layer after layer of vegetation in hopes of ‘catching up’ with the target. Eventually the signal appeared again. And probing ever so delicately into the foliage, Claudia’s beloved class ring flashed its presence!

Claudia’s smile tells the rest of the story. But I would be amiss if I did not recognize the team of individuals whose cooperation and care for a fellow firefighter, made it possible. Sometimes it takes a team! As for me, I gotta get me one of those Hyundai loaders!

TESTIMONIAL: On October 15th while disposing of multiple barrels of leaves at the Village recycle yard, my graduate ring fell off. This was the beginning of the season so the pile was relatively small. The plan was to buy a metal detector but thought better of it due to my inexperience. Shot a text to Paul Humphreys and we met at the recycle yard the next am. With the assistance of my fire chief, we were able to get access before the public. We raked, shoveled, and even had a firefighter show up to use the backhoe to flatten out the pile that grew considerably since my departure the prior afternoon. It was a dirty, wet, smelly and exhausting task but Paul, myself and my fellow firefighters stayed with it. Paul found the ring – this ring was the culmination of (4) graduate degrees and could not be replaced. I am forever grateful for this man – Paul, you are one of a kind. CLAUDIA ROEDL (CLIENT)

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River Ring Recovery in Kananaskis

  • from Calgary (Alberta, Canada)
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I received a call from Paul. He lost his ring in the river while surfing. His fingers got cold and the ring disappeared into the depths. Good thing that the river flow is controlled by a dam and for a period of time there is a chance to recover the ring. Paul wanted to help, so I loaned him a detector…….it worked.  Watch the video below for the story.

 

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Woman’s Platinum Wedding Band Lost on her 12th Wedding Anniversary, Found and Returned Sunset Beach, NC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)
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I got a phone call just before 4 pm today from Elizabeth, who was very upset about losing a wedding band on the beach. After getting a few details, including the fact the ring was lost in the dry sand, I told her I’d be there in 30-35 minutes. She seemed a little surprised in the fact that I’d be there so fast. We hung up and I grabbed my Deus II and Equinox 800 detectors.

As I’m pulling in the parking space next to the beach access she gave me, my phone rang, and it was Elizabeth. I thought she had found it and was calling to let me know. When I answered she said she was just checking to make sure I was still on my way. I told her I was just pulling in a parking spot and asked her if everything was ok. She said she was just worried.  I said, you told me you knew the area, and it’s in the soft sand. I then made a bold statement and told her I’d have it back on her finger within 2 minutes of getting in the area. That seemed to ease her concerns a little. As I’m walking over the boardwalk to the beach, I saw Elizabeth waving to me. I made my way to where she and another lady were sitting. That’s when I found out the other lady; Kelly was the one who lost her wedding band. Kelly was very upset as I asked what happened. Kelly said that today was her 12th wedding anniversary and she and Elizabeth were reminiscing about the events 12 years ago. When she took her wedding band off to relive the moment, it slipped from her fingers and disappeared in the soft sand. Elizabeth pointed out the area where they had been sitting and I went to work with my Deus II. After a couple of grid lines and not hitting the target, I had self-doubts about me and the Deus II. So I swapped detectors and used the Equinox 800 and took 2 steps outside my original grid line and hit a booming 8 VDI (visual display indicator). That number was exactly what I was expecting for a lady’s platinum wedding band. I glanced at Kelly with a big grin, which I’m not sure she saw. I took a scoop of sand, re-checked the hole and gently shook the sand out of the scoop. I glanced in the scoop and saw Kelly’s beautiful ring. I walked over to her and held the scoop out for her to retrieve her ring. Her tears started flowing and I could see the weight of the world get lifted off her shoulders. She couldn’t believe it and either could Elizabeth. Elizabeth reminded me I told her I’d have it back on her finger in less than 2 minutes, and that was less than 1 minute. This never gets old when you can return a special treasure back to someone who thought it was lost forever.

Elizabeth – Thank you for calling me.

Kelly – Thank you for trusting me to help find your lost treasure. I wish you all the best!!

Jim

   

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Newport Beach, CA. Lost Wedding Ring Found and Returned to Owner

  • from Newport Beach (California, United States)
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***  Gabby’s husband put his gold wedding band in his sandals on the dry sand at the beach while he went for a swim in the ocean. When he returned , he picked up his sandals and walked to his home two blocks a way. 

That’s when he realized his ring had to be back in the sand. Returning to the spot he couldn’t find the ring. His wife, Gabbby called me. She gave me verbal directions saying she would meet me in a half hour. 

I was there before Gabby showed up, so I began my grid search with my metal detector. I found the gold wedding ring before she showed up. So she was very happy and surprised that her call for help worked out successfully.

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Lost Gold Chain, Corona, California…..FOUND!

  • from Corona (California, United States)
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There was sadness and a hint of despair in the phone call I received from a mother of a young football player.
She explained that last night her son, Luka, had football practice at a local park and was wearing his 18k gold braided chain they got him from Italy, with a gold cross. Somehow it got snagged and broke somewhere on the field. After searching, Luka found the cross but was unable to locate the chain. Then, in another stroke of bad luck, he dropped the cross and couldn’t find it.
So the sadness and despair was warranted.

I told his mom, Maddy, that I was immediately available and we met at the park.
After she and Luka showed me the area he thought he lost it, I began doing a grid search, but without luck. I expanded the search area and in less than a half hour found the chain just a bit further out.
Mom was ecstatic and gave me a big hug. Maddy and Luka went home and I continued to search for the next two hours for the cross but was unable to locate it before having to leave. I hope to go back and continue the hunt.

With mom’s permission I’m posting Luka and the Found Chain!

UPDATE: I went back to the park the next day with my other metal detector. A slow and concentrated search in the muddy area of the practice field, which was pointed out by Luka’s coach and another young football player the day before, brought success! The gold cross was also found!

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Losing a borrowed key can be stressfull!

  • from Virginia Beach (Virginia, United States)
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I got a call about a lost key in some bushes. She had borrowed the key to get something from the house. There was a lot of strange things in the bushes but the lost key did turn up!

 

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Find a Lost Ring in the Ocean

  • from Vancouver (British Columbia, Canada)
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Vancouver Ring Finder Chris Turner- Ring Recovery Specialist…Lost your ring?… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP  Anytime   778-838-3463 

I received a text message the other night in regards to a lost ring at Spanish Banks Beach, in the ocean. The message asked if there would still be a chance to find it the next day as we were being hit with some high winds. I text back and said absolutely worth a shot, so we set up a time to meet the next morning, when I met this young man I could tell how much this really meant to him and his wife. He went on to tell me that he was only married for a little over a year and the ring meant the world to him and I could tell how much he loved his wife and didn’t want to upset her with the news that evening. He waited to tell her the next morning and he said she was very upset and he was in the doghouse for a little while, but after telling her he had asked me to come out and help that put her mind to rest a little bit.

He told me it was dark when he entered the water so I got him to mark off an area for me to search, I also knew because it was dark he may be off the mark by who knows 10, 20, 30 yards?. He had to get to work so I got down to business and started searching the area where the high title line met the dry line. He told me he was only 10 feet below the high tide line, of course I would search much further down for the what if factor.  I was pretty confident his ring was going to bed down pretty quickly in the sand due to the weight of his ring.

After close to 6 1/2 hours (17,961 steps) unfortunately I did not find his ring, I reached out to let him know, I could tell he was very disappointed, I told him I was going back the next day to extend the search area. That night I laid in bed thinking what I could have done differently, was there something I didn’t do or somewhere I didn’t look? I knew because it was dark he could be off the mark,  I did overextend my grid search but it wasn’t until the next morning when I saw where the high tide line was on the beach that changed everything.

When I got there the first day and looked for the high tide line and knowing it was a 14.74 high tide I was confident I was looking at the right line and started my search from there down. The next day I saw the high tide line I was working the day before and I saw my grid lines more than 20 feet down…Game changer! That told me the high tide ling wasn’t that high up, there was a seaweed line across the beach where the high tide was and I started my search from there and down and about 40 yards east out of my grid I found his ring!

Makes me so happy when I can find and continue these beautiful stories for people! The ring was close to a foot down and in a few days it may have been too deep to detect.

 

 

   

 

 

Vancouver Ring Finder Chris Turner- Ring Recovery Specialist…Lost your ring?… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP  Anytime   778-838-3463 I have the best job in the world, I love helping people more than anything I’ve ever done in my lifetime. I get to make people smile, I get to hear their stories of what their ring/lost items mean to them and how happy it makes them feel when I find it.

 

 

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Class ring missing more than 50 years returned to owner! TRF Celinà, Ohio

  • from Celina (Ohio, United States)
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After missing for more than 50 years this 1966 class ring is returned to the owner!

Dave graduated from Memorial high School in Saint Mary’s Ohio with the class of 1966. He lost his class ring shortly after. Today, Dave (age 74) is the class historian and had not seen his class ring in more than 50 years. He had long ago given up hope of seeing it again and had forgotten about it. Today, through teamwork, Dave has been reunited with his lost class ring. Today the class historian was surprised with a piece of his own history! Another happy ending!

This 1966 class ring was missing for more than 50 years.

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Lost engagement ring at Octoberfest found

  • from Marietta (Ohio, United States)
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Lost ring at Octoberfest

I was contacted by a friend of mine who knows that I metal detect. He was contacted by a girl named Kaylee who had lost her engagement ring at the Lowell Octoberfest. He gave me her number and I made arrangements to meet her at the Lowell island to see if I could find her engagement ring. I met her and her fiancé and she told me that she was certain that she lost it there at the festival but was not sure where. She had walked all through the vendors tables and was also at the food pavilion and in the parking lot. She did not know for sure where she lost it but she was sure it was there somewhere. She showed me all the areas that she had been and she also showed me the keychain necklace that she kept the ring on. She informed me that sometimes it was around her neck and other times it was in her bag. I asked many many questions to try to find the best area to look first. We concentrated on the areas where she took the keychain necklace in and out of her bag. She felt like the most likely place would be where she sat down to eat right before they left and she pulled it out of the bag at that point. They had not taken down the tent that was set up to eat under but they had taken all the picnic tables away, so it was easy swinging the metal detector in that area. Because of all the rain they had thrown down a lot of straw and the grass was kind of high so being able to visually see the ring was not going to happen. After only about 15 minutes of metal detecting, I got the “double tap“ hit I was waiting for! This hunt was one of those that I thought was going to be very long and drawn out over several days to look every where that she had been, but thank the good Lord it was a quick and easy hunt.

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Hurricane Ian Causes Total Destruction of House, Garden City SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)
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I got a call on the morning of Oct 1st from Harriet saying her brother and sister-in-law, Joe and Martha’s, house had burned down and was wondering if I could look for some family jewelry. Included in the jewelry were pieces that belonged to Martha’s mother and Joe’s father’s class ring. Totally destroyed house fires are so difficult to search. Not only is there the personal shock of someone losing everything, but the shear difficulty of trying to find anything in all the rubble. I told Harriet to have Joe call me so I could get further details.  Joe texted me later that afternoon saying, “hey Jim, this is Joe. My sister called you this am about helping me find some jewelry in the remains of my destroyed house. I have a good idea of where to look if you would like to call me when you arrive. I will send you some pics of the area. Thanks so much for your help!” We exchanged some more texts about what I was looking for. I also informed him that due to the heat factor, most, if not all, the jewelry would probably be melted. He fully understood and further advised me that there’d be a pass at the gate for me since this was a gated community. I contacted Matt Fry, TRF Myrtle Beach and asked him if he wanted to help, knowing that this was going to be a chore.

Sunday, I met Matt at his shop, and we headed out. Matt had heard the road we needed to take was closed so we’d have to make a few detours. Once we got in the area, detours were an understatement, it was a mess. The hurricane had pushed water and sand two blocks back from the beach. The road crews were working hard to get all the sand off the roads.  I think it took them 4 days to get it done.

When we pulled up to where the house was, it was as I expected. It was a 1 story house that was on 12–15-foot stilts that had collapsed to the ground. The area we needed to search was the rear left side of the house, not a big area, but still overwhelming. The first task at hand was to clear as much metal as we could.  Nails, mending plates, nail plates, bed springs, etc. I couldn’t find my big magnet before we left, but Matt had a makeshift magnet that helped clear most nails, but nowhere near all of them. Matt had his Minelab 30-30 detector, and I had my Equinox 800. Both of us were swinging the detectors and anything that rang up as a jewelry signal, we were putting in a big bucket. Problem was that we weren’t finding anything that wasn’t melted together with something else. After about 3.5 hours we were hot, dirty and pretty much exhausted so we called it a day. I had planned to go back the next day and finish up. Meanwhile, I had talked to Joe who told me that Martha had kept her jewelry in a couple of bags, which consisted of rings, bracelets, necklaces, pendants and a watch. Joe also mentioned that his father’s class ring, which he was given, should be in a particular area.

Monday, I showed up and started clearing the area again.  I had found my big magnet and it was a Godsend. I ran the magnet through the area where Joe’s father’s ring was supposed to be and cleared more nails and plates. I did get a great signal in the area but other than what it rang up on the detector, there was no way I could definitively see or tell what the object was. Unfortunately, everything Matt and I found was melted beyond recognition.

Wednesday, I went back one more time to check the parameter (the soft sand) around the back side of the house. There was always a possibility the firemen might have blown something into the sand with the fire hoses. I did find a few more pieces, but think it was more junk, like aluminum, than anything else.

Saturday, I went through every piece, one by one, that we had found and started sorting it out by the various metals my detector was indicating it could be. I can’t say with absolute certainty everything we got was a piece of jewelry, nor can I say for sure that we got anything that was jewelry. I can say that we gave it our best effort and pray to God that we got some, if not all of their important treasures back. Luckily Joe has a best friend who is a jeweler that makes jewelry and maybe he’ll be able to melt this stuff back down and give a different look to their treasures.

Wednesday, Oct 12th, I was able to meet Joe in a parking lot to give him all the objects we had found. The picture of him shows him holding 5 separate bags. The bags were labeled with items containing possible yellow and white gold, silver, and a variety of other metals.

Matt – Thank you buddy, I know I can always count on you to lend a hand.

Joe and Martha – Thank you for trusting me to try and help find some of your lost treasures. I wish you only the best!

Jim

   

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