A week ago, while vacationing on Cape Cod, I received a call from Leslie asking for my help. Her mom, Phyllis, recently lost a gold cross in her backyard when the chain broke and was very upset over the loss. The cross was a gift from her late husband, so it held special meaning to her. As soon as I returned from vacation, I went to search for the item. After approximately two hours of searching the yard and a compost bin, and using two different metal detectors, I located the cross in the lawn. Phyllis is thrilled to have this precious item back with her!
This ring find began while I was in Ulua Lagoon hunting for a set of lost keys and a gentleman named Andy told me his friend Ed from Sacramento, California just lost his Wedding Band in the water as he was coming ashore from snorkeling. I told him I’d follow him over to the spot. Unfortunately there were a dozen kids playing in the knee deep water where the ring came off. Ed helped me mark out a grid and said the band was a Comfort Fit Titanium ring. After starting my in and out grid search I got a screaming target and there was a ring. I asked Ed is this yours? He looked at it rather hesitantly and said “No” with a look of bewilderment on his face. I said see your not the only one that has lost a ring recently. I said, “Don’t worry” and continued my grid search. I found several coins and a Matchbox car but no more rings. I talked it over with Ed to make sure I had covered the correct area and he assured me that I had. I thought maybe because so many kids were playing in the area that maybe as I was trying to avoid them yet cover the area I missed the ring. I told Ed let me try a search parallel to the shore and thankfully one of the Moms saw what I was trying to do and came down and got all the kids out of the grid. Two minutes later I got another screamer and there was a Tungsten ring in the scoop. “That’s it” Ed said with a sigh of relief. This is Tungsten not Titanium. Oh I guess your right but that’s the ring. I’m positive it was and Ed was so thrilled it was found. Now he wouldn’t have to explain to his wife how he lost his ring in knee deep water on their vacation. Aloha to Ed!
Emily left a message on my answer machine, my voice mail, e-mail, and texted my phone about her engagement ring lost in the sand at the Silver Strand. I figured she must want it back! 🙂 We made arrangements to meet at the scene in a couple of hours so they could show me the search area. When I arrived, I got the story on how it was lost. She had caught a football and the ring popped off her finger. She immediately dropped to her knees and started sifting through the sand, but, couldn’t find it. She was joined by the rest of her group, but, the same result….no ring. Now, several days later, my concern was that someone else might have found it. There is a campground at the other end of the beach and many campers like to detect too. The good part was that they were in a less used area in front of the parking lot normally closed off during the week. She remembered where she was when she caught the ball, so, I started there and spiraled out from that point. I was finding a few good coin targets, so, I figured that nobody had beat me to the spot and gridded the area. After almost and hour and many promising foil targets, I got another weak foil signal and a couple of scoops later, saw a beautiful white gold engagement ring in my scoop. Needless to say, Emily was overjoyed to get it back and amazed that I found it, and that it was so far from where she had caught the ball. That’s the way the ring bounces sometimes! A pleasure to meet you and thank you for the reward.
The difference in the meaning of “DEEP” water is relative to one’s height.
Mike’s loss was not noticed at once so my search area was within 3 areas and the path between them. A Google photo with the marked area and the fact he was playing with his kids my search plan was set. I started at low tide, and worked up the beach’s slope. The water was heavy with seaweed and I could search that area when the tide came in. After 2½ hours I was searching in the water but had little hope as I would be underwater at high tide and Mike was not when he lost his ring. Little did I know Mike stands well over 6’ tall and his head would still be above water long after I would have needed a long snorkel to stand next to him. I have dreamed of being that tall while detecting in deep water. Back to the search…I found the ring a half hour after entering the water within 10 feet of the center of the most likely area as identified by Mike on his area photo. If I only knew and there was not the floating seaweed, I may have found the ring in less time. Mike came to my home to pick up his ring of almost 13 years. What a personality, I knew I was in for an exciting talk form a very energetic man after only a few minutes on the phone with Mike. It was a memorable pleasure meeting Mike, his enthusiastic smile and returning his ring.
A re-occurring scenario playing ball in the water, Patrick’s Platinum wedding band was knocked off his finger on 8/22. He and several friends, and children search with no result. Patrick reached out to me for help. I had one search that had to be done in the morning’s low tide. I showed up at 11:30am and was given the needed information to start the search. In setting up my gear, a dime signal was heard, but I was too eager to get into the area so I left the signal and headed out into deeper water. A penny was the next target and I did retrieve it. Than the big bang, one shallow scoop and there it was a nice round piece of Platinum. Two minutes at most…but it will be a wait for a picture of Patrick and his ring as he was in California. His wife’s smile will be shown in the Book of Smiles until Patrick’s photo can be obtained.
One ring that could never be replaced slipped from Christopher’s finger just less a few days of of 3 months of being placed there. The ring had quite a history. It had traveled to Ireland and Italy on a honeymoon, had a personal blessing by Pope Franciscus, and lost just yards away from where it origin had started. Chris had the presence of mind to take note of the location the ring slipped from his finger and then his wife contacted me via TheRingFinders.
I arrived and was told the ring was gold with a silver band of Celtic knots and it would be found 15-20 feet into the water when I aligned myself so I could see into the drain pipe protruding from the break-wall. Two pull tabs, three bottle caps and then a crazy signal…the detector had a difficult time distinguishing between the two metals. I thought I had trash and was very surprised to see the ring in my scoop. Smiles, hugs, and thank yous ended the emotional trauma of a very special ring’s short history and the beginning of a very long one.
I did not find the ring, BUT my detecting partner, Jim DID.
A Google area photo helped, it lead Jim to the ring.
It is great to have help! Jim was heading off Cape and left the ring’s return up to me.
What a team, I can not wait until Jim returns next summer!
A NOTE FROM MATT:
Hi Rick, in addition to the thank you parcel headed for you and Jim. A donation has been made in your name to the Cape and Islands retired K9 relief fund. As an added bonus, my firm has matched my donation dollar for dollar. Rick we did a lot of good today. You were the catalyst! Thank you again for everything.
What an experience; the search for this ring will never be forgotten. The usual questions, answers and a Google map photo of the area. The next low tide was 2am and my detecting partner, Jim, and I were up for a hunt in the dark. A beautiful night, bright moon, stars, shooting stars, and heat lightening in the distance. 3 hours later, no ring but a mind full of fantastic sights. I returned a 1pm with Mike’s in-laws. They agreed that Mike’s “area” was off. They told me were to go, stop and start detecting to the right, not left as Mike’s map had shown. Two passes parallel to the beach took about 4 minutes with no targets, I turned for the 3rd pass, took 3 steps and there it was, Mike’s ring in my scoop. Back on the sand, cheers from the crowd on the beach and disbelief that the ring had been found and so fast and returned to Mike’s father-in-law (shown in photo).
UPDATE Mike, his ring and wife.
Finding this wedding band was no different than waking up on Christmas morning as a kid – This was going to be the ultimate gift to someone!
Prior to beginning my search, I had no identifying information on Mr. Hage’s ring so I was not completely sure if the ring I found was the ring that belonged to Mr. Hage (Although, deep down I had high hopes this ring was the ring I was there to find). After confirming the ring belonged to Mr. Hage, I knew the best part was coming next. Aside from the excitement of finding a gold ring lost to Mother Nature, there is no better feeling than reuniting someone with their story that began 56 years ago.
I do this because sometimes all people have is a token to remind them of the best parts of their lives and those memories do not belong lost in the ocean.
My jewelry finding service covers Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and other surrounding states.
If you have a lost ring or something of value, contact Keith Wille now.
Call or text | 860-917-8947
Email | uncoverthings@yahoo.com
Website | www.metaldetectionkeithwille.com
Check out the excitement at Waterford Recreation & Parks!
