Three rings found in Ballina NSW

These three rings were lost in a muddy bay in Ballina during a water polo match in February.

A search conducted by a member of a local metal detectors club a few weeks later was unsuccessful.

Veronica saw a full-page article that appeared in two major Sudney newspapers  on 20 March featuring me and the Ringfinders and contacted me.

A thousand questions, followed by a six hour drive, an hour of setting-up the search area using photographs and survey /transit markers and it was on with the SCUBA gear and into the water.

Veronica was the last thing I saw for the next three hours as the visibility underwater was zero and it was time for a cylinder change.

Back into the water and another three hours of systematic grid searching the water polo court and investigating any likely sound through the headphones by picking up handfuls of feral mud and squeezing it through my fingers until something solid, that didn’t want to bite me was left. Low on air again and it was time to pack up for the day and wash the equipment.

Early the next day saw me in Byron Bay where the guys at Sundive Byron Bay kindly filled two cylinders for me in the middle of a busy morning at the shop.

Back into the water at Ballina gridding again and just after an hour I heard the noise I had been wanting to hear. Two distinctly sepetate yellow gold noises about two feet apart. About a minute of  grabbing and squeezing mud and the first ring was cable tied to my BCD. The engagement ring was the next out of the mud followed closely by the 94 year old and most sentimental of the rings, Veronica’s and formally her Great Grandmother’s, wedding ring and these were both safety cable tied to my BCD seven hours and ten minutes of diving after the search began.

A photograph taken and sent to Veronica resulted in a call during which I didn’t really understand much of what she was saying but I pretty sure that she was happy.

The story made the front page of the Northern Star two days later. A great result for all and another pair of amazed but totally satisfied Ringfinders customers and an equally happy Ringfinder.

Valentine’s Day ring return

On February 13, I received a text message from Lauren who had lost her three rings (now fused into a single piece) either “in the water, on the beach, on the path up from the beach or on the grass in the picnic area. Can you help?”

My initial reaction was, well at least she’s honest; no idea where really but I like a challenge.

A look at the tide chart for the next day revealed that the best time to search the water was about 1300 the next day which was Valentines Day. This necessitated an early start for work at 0400 so I could get to Salwater Lagoon at low tide.

I met Paul, Lauren’s husband, at the creek that connects the lagoon to the sea and discussed the situation. We decided that the ring was most likely in the creek and a search area was marked out.

I did a comprehensive search of the area and came up with nothing so I started on the “dry” sand where the couple had been based the day before and again nothing.

Up the path to the beach and the picnic area and still nothing and the look on Paul’s face said it all.

Paul had to leave but I told him that failure was not an option and that I was far more confident that the ring was in the creek.

On returning to the creek I re-covered the initial search area and then extended the area upstream where, about four meters from where I had searched earlier, the Minelab Excalibur II screamed at me and a few minutes later I felt the unmistakeable round, solid object buried about eight inches in very soft sand.

I did what I do a lot when I find my targets and the owners are not with me and sent a photograph to both Paul and Lauren. I’m told that Lauren, who was visiting her Mother in hospital at the time, screamed when she saw the photograph.

Lauren and Paul mad a donation to their favorite charity that funds research into cancer in kids. A great result for everyone and another pair of satisfied Ring Finder customers.

Lauren and Paul arranged for he Manning River Times to do a story on the find which ran the next day and again in the Great Lakes Advocate a week later.

Gold wedding ring thought lost forever

I uncovered this wedding ring while searching for another one in the local ocean pool in Forster on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia. It was in sand approximately two meters underwater.

On returning home I was able to read the inscription “Love Karen 18-4-2015 inside the ring. The guy didn’t even manage to keep it a year!

A description of the ring and its location were placed on Facebook and approximately two days later a call from a local beautician who knew a couple from Dubbo (approximately 500km away) who had lost a ring while holidaying in Forster in January. The girl’s name was Karen.

A short time later I received a call from a slightly confused Karen who gave me the exact inscription inside the ring and the parts of the story that were missing. The ring went back to the happy couple the next day in the post with instructions on who to call next time. Yet another happy customer and a demonstration of the power of social media.

Gold wedding ring Seal Rocks

This plain yellow wedding band was lost in the dry sand at Seal Rocks on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia.

The ring’s owners were unable to lactate it after several hours of searching and returned home.

They found The Ringfinders and contacted me and were able to send Google Earth maps good enough for me to get the job done. After approximately an hour of searching I heard the sweet tone of yellow gold and sent the photo. The ring went into the post the next day and The Ringfinders had another two very satisfied customers.

The local life guards called as they do a lot lately and I headed to Elizabeth Beach to search for Josh’s platinum and gold wedding ring that he had lost on the beach. On arrival I met Josh’s very enthusiastic daughter and gave her my trusty scoop “Alice” (Alice Scooper).

Ten minutes later and that sweet sound of high quality non-ferrous metal erupted through the Minelab Excalubur II headphones.

The young one went to work with Alice and dug Josh’s ring out of the sand. The look on her face made it all worthwhile and the lifeguards received a donation.

Another very happy Ringfinders client.