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Phone Lost While Kayaking the Flint River…FOUND by Ring Finder in Brownsboro, AL!

  • from Huntsville (Alabama, United States)
Contact:

Christina McCree – Ring Finder/Metal Detectorist for northern Alabama and southern/middle Tennessee…call or text ASAP, anytime 24/7…610-504-6135

On August 22nd, 2023, I received a call from Maurice stating he had lost his Samsung Galaxy S20 cell phone while kayaking the Flint River in Brownsboro, Alabama.  It had been about a week since the loss.  Maurice had already bought a new phone, but he really wanted all the files he had on the one that was lost.  Maurice made a post on Facebook for help on how to recover his phone.  Someone mentioned my name in the comments, so that’s how he discovered the metal detecting service, The Ring Finders.  We decided that he should first try a local group that specializes in item recoveries from the Flint River, because of the limited entry/exit points.  You pretty much have to kayak that entire 5.5-mile stretch of river (3–4-hour float) to get to the area of loss.

Unfortunately, that group wasn’t available to search for Maurice’s phone, so he reached back out to me.  We planned a kayak trip on Sunday, September 17th.  I met Maurice at the North Alabama Canoe and Kayak (NACK) rental.  I had all of my water detecting gear and Minelab Equinox 800.  We got on the river and made our way down to where Maurice lost his phone.  It was just past the powerlines, where you need to call the rental place to pick you up.  His kayak had flipped over on a rough spot, next to a log.

The water was pretty cold, so I had on my 3mm wetsuit.  There was a decent current by the log, but it was fairly shallow.  There was a 4-5-foot-deep spot, so that’s where we thought the phone should be.  I cleared the main shallow area and focused in on the deeper spot.  I ended up finding 2 other cell phones, which were not Maurice’s (I’ll try to get them back to the rightful owners).  I searched further down the river, but still didn’t find it.  I went back to that deeper spot and ended up finding another phone.  This time, it was the right one — Maurice’s phone!

Maurice was so happy to have his phone back!  We celebrated and I thanked the Lord for a successful recovery.  I packed up my gear, we took some photos, and we kayaked to the pick-up spot.  Even though the phone had been in the river for about a month, Maurice had it back and should be able to retrieve the data from his SD card.  I’m so thankful and blessed that I’m able to use my hobby of metal detecting to help others.  All thanks and praise to God!  Looking forward to the next adventure…

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Wedding Band Lost on Band Practice Field…FOUND by Ring Finder in Madison, AL!

  • from Huntsville (Alabama, United States)
Contact:

Christina McCree – Ring Finder/Metal Detectorist for northern Alabama and southern/middle Tennessee…call or text ASAP, anytime 24/7…610-504-6135

Friday at noon (September 1, 2023), I received a text message from Leigh stating she had lost her wedding band while painting lines on a band practice field at a local High School in Madison, Alabama.  She had gotten paint on her ring, so she took it off and put it in her pants pocket.  When she finished and had gotten back to her car, the ring was no longer in her pocket.  I was off from work, so I was able to head there shortly after Leigh’s text message.

Leigh had told me that she thought it would be around the 50-yard line.  I started my search there with my Minelab Equinox 800 with the 15-inch coil.  I searched all the painted lines, but did not find her ring.  I went back to the 50-yard line and expanded my search.  Soon after, I had found Leigh’s ring!  It had rolled to the middle of the field between the 50 and the 40-yard lines.  Leigh texted that she had just finished teaching her class and was on her way down.  When she got there, she asked if I had any luck.  I opened up my hand and said, “is this it?”  It was and she was so happy to see it!  She thanked me numerous times.  She told me that on Sunday it would be her 1-year anniversary.  Happy anniversary!!!

Another successful recovery, and I give all praise and glory to God!  I’m always happy to help and I’m really blessed being able to go on these searches and help others!  Looking forward to the next adventure…

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Engagement & Wedding Ring Set Lost in the Water…FOUND by Ring Finder in Nashville, TN!

Contact:

Christina McCree – Ring Finder/Metal Detectorist for northern Alabama and southern/middle Tennessee…call or text ASAP, anytime 24/7…610-504-6135

Sunday evening (June 18, 2023), I received a call from Sam and Jon.  Sam explained that the day prior she had lost her white gold wedding ring in a lake in Nashville, Tennessee.  This was actually 3 rings — the engagement ring soldered between 2 wedding bands.  Sam was trying to save her dog from drowning (dog is doing great) and the wedding ring set slipped off her finger in about 2 feet of water.  I was off from work the next day, so we arranged a search for Monday morning.

I met Sam and Jon at the lake around 10 am on Monday.  We were in-between rain showers, but the sky was clear at the moment.  I began searching with my Minelab Equinox 800 with the 10×5 Coiltek coil.  The lake bottom was very rocky (both large and small rocks), so the smaller coil allowed me to get into the tighter spaces.  I searched the main area where Sam thought she fell for about an hour.  I only found a fishing lure and some junk metal.

I asked Jon where he thought Sam fell at.  Both Jon and Sam walked over to the shoreline where he was standing when it happened.  I was detecting closer to the shoreline and caught a glimpse of something shiny.  I put my goggles on and dipped my face into the water.  Sure enough, it was Sam’s wedding ring set!  I picked it up and cupped it in my hand.  I stood up and Jon said, “I think Sam fell right where you’re standing at”.  I asked Sam if she thought this was the right area and she wasn’t sure.  I then said, “I think we need to call it a day and head home.”  Both Sam and Jon looked puzzled.  I then said, “because, I just found it!”  They said, “no way!”  I held up the ring for them to see and they were both so happy and relieved.  I really love this part of the search!  I walked over to them and handed Sam the ring.  She was so happy to have it back!  We all gave each other a high five and took some photos.  It had just started raining, so that was perfect timing.

Sam was standing much closer to the shoreline than she remembered, but she was also in a panic with her dog.  I’ve learned that our memories can be a bit off, but we just have to keep expanding our grid search area.  In the end, it doesn’t matter how long it takes, I’m just happy we found it and it’s back where it belongs.

We enjoyed a nice chat on our walk back to the parking lot.  They thanked me again for my efforts and we parted ways.  Another happy ending!  I thank God for another successful recovery and safe trip home.  Looking forward to the next adventure…

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FOUND by Metal Detectorist…Engagement Ring and Wedding Band Lost Outside of a Hotel in Florence, Alabama!

Contact:

Christina McCree – Ring Finder/Metal Detectorist for northern Alabama and southern/middle Tennessee…call or text ASAP, anytime 24/7…610-504-6135

Just before noon on Saturday (April 29th, 2023), I received a text message from Emily stating that she had lost both her 14k yellow gold engagement ring and wedding band by a grassy hill outside of a hotel in Florence, Alabama.  Emily said she lost them the night before and that she and her husband, Mannon, had already tried searching with a cheap metal detector they bought from a local sporting goods store.  They were leaving the next day to head home to Mobile, AL, which was about 370 miles south!  Emily said that they were desperate to get the rings back.  I had just gotten home from running some errands and was free the rest of the day.  I told Emily that I would grab my gear and be on the way.

It was about an hour and 10-minute drive to the hotel Emily and Mannon were staying at in Florence, AL.  When I arrived, Mannon showed me the area they thought the rings were lost in.  There were a few holly bushes with those prickly leaves that the rings could have landed in, but I was going to save those until the end lol.

I turned on my Minelab Equinox 800 with the 15-inch coil and got to work.  I found various trash targets in the lady’s gold range, but no rings.  I cleared the main area up to the top of the hill and began expanding my grid outwards.  About 30 minutes in, I had another good signal on my Nox 800, I bent down to check it with my Garret ProPointer AT, and found Emily’s gold wedding band hiding just beneath the grass!  Emily and Mannon came over and were so excited that one of the rings was located.  I said that the engagement ring was probably nearby.  I glanced around and spotted it laying on the surface in plain view about 8 feet away!  Emily and Mannon were so relived and thankful that both rings were found!  They could now make the trip back home without leaving these symbols of love behind.  The reason why I love being a Ring Finder!  We chatted for a few minutes and then I was on my way back to Huntsville.

I’m always happy to help!  Both Emily and Mannon were two more people that weren’t aware that a service like this exists.  Emily stumbled upon the website while searching for tips to locate a lost ring.  So, please tell your family and friends about The Ring Finders Metal Detecting Service!  Looking forward to the next adventure…

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Lost Wedding Band…FOUND by The Ring Finders during Final Search Attempt in Homewood, Alabama!

  • from Huntsville (Alabama, United States)
Contact:

Christina McCree – Ring Finder for northern Alabama and southern/middle Tennessee…call or text ASAP, anytime 24/7…610-504-6135

On September 12th, 2022, I received a text message from LeeAlice stating that her husband, Jamie, had lost his platinum wedding band in July.  She said that he was 99.99% sure that he lost it in the yard.  Jamie was in a rush trying to water the plants before he had to go catch a flight.  He noticed his ring was missing right before he left their house for the airport.  They tried searching numerous times with a cheap detector they bought from Costco, but they just couldn’t find it.

Here’s the catch…LeeAlice and Jamie had since moved, so they no longer owned the property.  However, the flippers that bought their house were totally fine with me coming by to look for the ring.  This would be the last opportunity to find it though.  And if I didn’t find it, this ring would definitely be lost forever.  The pressure was on, but I knew if the ring was there, I would find it.  I have a high level of confidence in my equipment, knowledge, and search techniques.  LeeAlice told me that she had pretty much given up all hope.  I told her to keep her hope alive, because many people tell me the same thing, and then they are shocked when I do find it.

LeeAlice wanted Jamie to be there during the search, so that he could show me what he was doing and everywhere he went.  I agreed, because it’s very helpful to go over the details with the person who lost the item, so that we can narrow down the search area.  Our schedules wouldn’t align until Sunday, October 2nd, 2022.

I met LeeAlice and Jamie on a beautiful fall afternoon at their former house in Homewood, Alabama.  Homewood is just slightly south of Birmingham.  Jamie showed me exactly where he went and what he was doing.  They decided to go say hi to some former neighbors while I was searching.  I got out my gear and got to work.

I chose to focus on where the spigot was.  Jamie walked there a few times to turn on and off the water.  I started searching on that side of the house and along the grass line first.  I knew that the thick Zoysia grass would easily hide a wedding band much easier than the mulch. I covered a couple of feet and checked a few signals.  All items were below the soil.  I was almost parallel with the spigot when I received that loud and proud tone on my Minelab Equinox 800.  The depth was reading at 2 inches, so I knew this would probably be the ring.  I bent down, parted the grass, and could just barely make out a circular object.  I wiped away some dirt and there it was—Jamie’s platinum wedding band!!!  I always get so excited when I find the ring, and then even more excited when I get to tell the good news!

LeeAlice and Jamie were still at their neighbors, so I took some pictures, and went to grab a bottle of water from my truck.  I texted LeeAlice that they could come back when they were ready.  Shortly after, they came walking up.  I told LeeAlice that Jamie’s 99.99% odds were spot on!  She was slightly confused, so I said that Jamie’s ring had been found!  Her face went from confusion to complete shock and emotion.  I took them over to the spot and Jamie slipped the wedding band back on his finger where it belongs.  LeeAlice thanked me numerous times and gave me a couple of big hugs.  Best feeling in the world!

Below, I included a picture of where I found the ring in the grass in relation to the shrubs and mulch area (the ring was next to where my orange pinpointer is laying on the side of my detector).  I also included a picture of the ring in the grass to show just how impossible it is to see it with sight alone.  However, it’s not a true representation of how it actually looked.  I had already parted the grass and removed the ring for some pictures, so the ring was completely out of sight when I found it.  Almost no way to find that without a good quality metal detector.

This wedding band had the potential to never be seen or worn again.  And while some may say it’s just a ring, it’s way more than that!  This is the very ring that LeeAlice put on Jamie’s finger on their wedding day almost 5 years ago.  Extremely sentimental and irreplaceable!  Sure, you can just go buy another one, but it’ll never be the same.  Thankfully, that wasn’t the case here.  This ring will stay on Jamie’s finger and get to continue its story.  Thank you, God, for another successful ring return!  Looking forward to the next adventure…

If you or someone you know has lost a ring, jewelry, or other metal item, please contact a member of The Ring Finders.

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Missing Engagement Ring in Columbia, Tennessee…FOUND!

  • from Huntsville (Alabama, United States)
Contact:

Christina McCree – Ring Finder for northern Alabama and southern/middle Tennessee…call or text ASAP, anytime 24/7…610-504-6135

On Thursday night (September 8th, 2022), I received a text message from Austin stating that his fiancé, Shannon, had lost her engagement ring earlier that day while she was outside of their home.  They had spent 4 hours searching with a cheap metal detector, but no luck.  They also tried looking in the dark with a flashlight.  I told Austin I’d be more than happy to help, and that I could come out the next day as soon as I got off from work.

I met Austin and Shannon at their home in Columbia, Tennessee on Friday around 4:30pm.  They explained that they checked their security cameras and were able to pinpoint when Shannon last had her ring on and when she first noticed it missing.  Shannon had gone over to the chicken coop, grabbed a bad egg, and threw it over their wire fence into the field.  She shook her hand because some yolk had gotten on it.  Next, she went and pulled some weeds from the garden, but she said she had noticed her ring was missing before she did that.

I began my search by where Shannon was standing when she threw the egg.  Next, I hopped the fence and began a grid search in the field.  This was challenging at times due to the height of the grass and weeds, so I had to press my detector down in certain spots.  When I felt like I had covered a decent area, I hopped back over the fence to check the bedding where the chicken egg was.  Still no ring.  Austin then showed me the video of the egg throw and I noticed that Shannon threw sideways towards the right side.  I hopped back over the fence and expanded my grid towards the right.  I continued searching until I felt like I had covered the area quite a ways.

We decided that I could come back out in the fall and recheck the field better when the grass was cut.  I told them that I wanted to check the garden in case Shannon had actually noticed the ring was missing after (not before) she had weeded.  Austin marked the path she had walked with my cones.  I walked down to the garden and searched one side of her path.  I then searched around the planter she was working in.  The grass was about 2-3 inches tall.  I just finished my lap around the planter when I received a solid tone that showed at a shallow depth on my Minelab Equinox 800.  This was the kind of signal that you just know it had to be the ring.  I bent down, parted the grass, and saw that golden circle beaming back up at me!  I looked up at Shannon with a big smile.  She said, “you found it!?”  I replied, “got it!”  Both Shannon and Austin were shocked because Shannon thought she noticed it missing before she pulled the weeds from the garden.  In fact, they didn’t even search that area because of that!  I explained that our minds will play tricks on us and can even change how events are played back in our heads.

Shannon and Austin were both so excited and relieved that her beautiful 14K yellow gold engagement ring was back on her finger where it belongs!!!  They were also so happy that they came across The Ring Finders Metal Detecting Service.  Shannon apologized that she had me looking in the wrong spot, but I told her that it was the most likely area and we needed to search that first.  In the end, all that matters to me is that the person gets their ring back no matter how long it takes to find it.  I’m so proud to be a member of this great service; please, tell your friends that it exists!  Looking forward to the next adventure…

If you or someone you know has lost a ring, jewelry, or other metal item, please contact a member of The Ring Finders.

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Mother’s Ring Lost While Pulling Weeds on Mother’s Day…FOUND Maysville, Alabama!

Contact:

Christina McCree – Ring Finder for northern Alabama and southern/middle Tennessee…call or text ASAP, anytime 24/7…610-504-6135

This was my second of two ring searches on May 9th, 2022.  This one was in Maysville, AL for a 14K white gold mother’s ring and the first one was in Lincoln, AL for a 14K yellow gold wedding band.  It’s about a 2 hour and 15-minute drive between the two locations.  I’m very happy to report that both rings were successfully found!  Ring search #2…

I received a text message from Heidi on Sunday, May 8th, 2022.  This happened to be Mother’s Day and Heidi said that she lost her mother’s ring that same day.  Heidi explained that she was weeding the side of the driveway earlier in the day and noticed that the ring was missing shortly after.  I thought that this was a typical mother’s ring where the ring contains the children’s birthstones, but this was not the case.  This ring actually belonged to Heidi’s mother and was passed on to her.  It was in their family for about 65 years!  Unfortunately, Heidi’s mother passed away 2 years ago.  Heidi’s sister had the smaller rows of diamonds added.  Their mother had a hinge added to the ring when she developed rheumatoid arthritis.  Heidi said that the hinge would sometimes pop open, and she believed that the white gold ring came off while she was pulling the weeds.  She wasn’t wearing gloves.  This ring is extremely sentimental to Heidi and her family.  It was imperative that I find it.

The search was scheduled for the following day (Monday, May 9th, 2022) around 5pm when I got there after work.  However, I ended up getting a call for another lost ring in the Coosa River in Lincoln, AL.  I ended up going to that one immediately, because it was lost in a public area.  I like to go to those types of search ASAP to avoid the potential of someone else finding the ring.  If that happened the owner may never see the ring again.  I went to that search in Lincoln.  I thought it would be a quick one and I would make it to Maysville around the time we originally scheduled, but that Lincoln search ended up taking around 2 hours.  I didn’t make it to Heidi’s house in Maysville until just after 8pm.  I apologized profusely, but Heidi said that she understood due to where the ring in Lincoln was lost.  Heidi said that I could come back the following day, but I had my high lumens headlamp and flashlight with me, so it would be no problem.  I told her that I would do a quick scan and if I didn’t find it, I would come back the following evening for a more thorough search.

Heidi took me to the area where she had been pulling weeds from the side of her driveway on Sunday.  I had told her not to throw anything away, so Heidi left all of the weeds in front of that spot.  The search area wasn’t too big, so I thought that I had a good chance for a recovery that night.  I turned on my Minelab Equinox 800 metal detector with the 10×5 Coiltek coil and started my search.  The first signal I checked turned out to be wires from an electrical pole.  I kept going and the next signal I had was a loud and solid tone in the lady’s gold range.  I bent down to check it with my Garrett AT Pro pin pointer.  I parted a couple of leaves and saw that shine of white gold beaming back at me!  I looked back at Heidi and said, “GOT IT!”  Heidi was shocked, because I had just started searching.  She quickly came over and her eyes locked on her mother’s ring.  She bent down, picked it up, and gave me the biggest hug!  I could feel the stress melt away and tears of happiness.  Best feeling in the world!  I’m so blessed that I get to do this.

We determined that the hinge had popped open and caused the ring to come off.  Heidi said that she was going to take it to the jeweler and get it fixed.  We walked over to the front porch to take some pictures.  Heidi’s husband, Bart, walked out and gave me a big fist bump.  He said, “thank you for making my wife happy!”  We chatted for a few minutes, and I got a few more hugs from Heidi.  Heidi is the owner of Flint Ridge Farm, a full-service horse boarding and teaching facility.  If you’re ever in the Maysville, Alabama area, please check them out!

While it was a long day between working half a day and going on 2 ring searches, the searches/returns are the thing that I love doing the most and were well worth the effort!  I praise God for another successful recovery!  I wonder what type of adventure the next call will bring…

If you or someone you know has lost a ring, jewelry, or other metal item, please contact a member of The Ring Finders.

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FOUND with Metal Detector…Lost Gold Wedding Band in the Coosa River Lincoln, Alabama!

Contact:

Christina McCree – Ring Finder for northern Alabama and southern/middle Tennessee…call or text ASAP, anytime 24/7…610-504-6135

This turned out to be my first of two ring searches on May 9th, 2022.  This one was in Lincoln, AL for a 14K yellow gold wedding band and the second one was in Maysville, AL for a 14K white gold mother’s ring.  It’s about a 2 hour and 15-minute drive between the two locations.  I’m very happy to report that both rings were successfully found!  Ring search #1…

I received a call from Austin just before noon on Monday, May 9th, 2022.  Austin stated that he lost his 14K yellow gold wedding band the day prior (Mother’s Day) while walking to his boat in 2-4 feet of water in the Coosa River (part of Logan Martin Lake) in Lincoln, Alabama.  Austin told me that he’d been married less than a year and desperately wanted his ring back.  He also dropped his sunglasses in the water.  Austin spent about 2 hours searching for his sunglasses and wedding band.  He was able to find the sunglasses, but unfortunately, came up empty handed on the ring.  He went online for ways to recover it and came across a service he never knew existed…The Ring Finders!

I had the other ring search scheduled for when I got off work that day.  I thought I could leave immediately for Lincoln, AL and help Austin find his ring, then head to Maysville for the second ring search.  I put in a leave request at work and started gathering up my gear.  I arrived in Lincoln around 3pm and met Austin by the water.  I quickly changed into my wetsuit pants and grabbed my detecting gear.  Austin showed me where he was wading through the water, where his boat was parked, and where he found his sunglasses.  He said that he never saw or felt the ring come off his finger, but he noticed it was missing within 30 minutes after his boat ride.

I started a north/south grid search in the area Austin found his sunglasses at.  I then expanded my grid to where he walked towards the dock and then the other side by where his boat was parked.  Unfortunately, I only found some trash, fishing sinkers, and a nickel.  I then worked an east/west grid making sure I covered the entire area really well.  I asked Austin questions on whether he shook his hands, threw anything, etc.  Austin said no and that I had pretty much covered all the spots he was at.

I decided to continue searching towards the shoreline just in case Austin’s recollection was slightly off.  Within a few minutes I got a screaming signal in the gold range about 20 feet from the original search area.  I took one scoop and had a ring in my basket!  I told Austin that I got it.  He said, “NO WAY!!!”  With a big smile I replied, “there’s a yellow gold ring in my scoop!”  I picked it up and asked him if there was an inscription.  Austin quickly said, “all my love”.  This was it!  Austin couldn’t believe it, because he said he didn’t walk over that far.  I’ve had a couple of searches that turned out this way.  Just another great learning experience to remember– always keep expanding the grid!

I walked over to the dock where Austin was standing and handed him his wedding band.  He said that he thought he’d never see it again and this was the best thing ever!  I’m so happy that he has his ring back and it was honestly found at the last minute where it shouldn’t have been.  Thank you, God, for another successful recovery!  I’m so proud to be a member of Chris Turner’s online directory of metal detecting specialists, The Ring Finders!  Write-up of search #2 to follow…

If you or someone you know has lost a ring, jewelry, or other metal item, please contact a member of The Ring Finders.

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Lost Tungsten Ring…FOUND by Member of The Ring Finders in McMinnville, Tennessee!

Contact:

Christina McCree – Ring Finder for northern Alabama and southern/middle Tennessee…call or text ASAP, anytime 24/7…610-504-6135

I received a text message from Rachel on Thursday evening (April 7th, 2022) stating that her boyfriend, Tyler, lost his Tungsten Carbide promise ring in February while they were rock crawling on a trail in McMinnville, Tennessee.  McMinnville is about a 2-hour drive from me (Huntsville, Alabama).  I told Rachel that I would be more than happy to help, but I wouldn’t be able to make it out until Saturday or Sunday when I was off from work.  Sunday actually turned out to be a beautiful day, so we scheduled the search for Sunday morning.

I arrived at their home in McMinnville, TN on Sunday morning (April 10th, 2022) around 10am.  I transferred my gear over to Rachel’s vehicle.  We needed to go through some thick grass and over rocks in order to make it out to the spot that Tyler lost his ring at.  We headed out and arrived at the base of the trail about 15 minutes later.  We parked at the base, because we didn’t want to drive over the ring.  I grabbed my Minelab Equinox 800 metal detector from Rachel’s vehicle and we started making our way up the steep trail.  It was about a 10-minute walk up to the spot where Tyler thought he lost his ring.  The Tungsten ring was actually thrown during an argument.  This happens way more than people think.  People have disagreements and sometimes rings go flying.  It’s always important that I know exactly what happened in order for a successful ring recovery.

Both Rachel and Tyler said that they heard a ping, so we knew that the ring probably hit a rock.  We were just hoping that it didn’t take a weird bounce.  The main part of the trail was easy to search.  The right side was very steep, so I didn’t think that it bounced up that far.  The left side was rocky, and I planned to search that last if I didn’t find the ring in the main trail area.  Tyler showed me where he was standing when he threw the ring.  He threw it down the trail, so I started at the top section.  I marked that spot with a few cones and started my grid search heading down the trail.  I covered the trail a good ways down and only found junk metal and some vehicle parts.  I felt that I searched that area very well and started searching the left side where all the rocks were at.  I eventually made my way up to the top where my cones were, but I didn’t find Tyler’s ring.  I decided to head back down and search along the trail again to be sure.  I made it back down and confirmed that the ring was not there.  I was about 1.5 hours into my search, I told Rachel and Tyler that they may have been further down the trail when the ring was thrown or it just took a crazy bounce.  I could tell that their hope was fading, but Rachel said that she thought they were further down the trail when the ring was thrown.  That made sense, because different sections of the trail looked very similar.

I began searching that next area where Rachel thought they were.  About 30 minutes in, I received a good shallow signal on my Equinox.  I moved my coil to the side and saw the shape of a ring just barely covered!  I could see the gleam of the sun reflecting off of it.  Rachel was looking in my direction, I smiled and pointed down to the ground.  She asked, “you found it?”  I said “yes!”  Both Rachel and Tyler came over, and Tyler picked up the ring.  They were so excited!  Tyler almost couldn’t believe it, because it wasn’t where he thought it should’ve been.  We can only find what’s there to be found and being in the right spot is the only way for that to happen.

We celebrated for a few minutes, took some pictures, and were on our way to their house.  I’m so happy that they have their ring back.  I pray that this helps strengthen their relationship.  Thank you, Lord, for another successful ring recovery!  I’m always happy to help, proud to be a member of The Ring Finders, and looking forward to my next adventure…

If you or someone you know has lost a ring, jewelry, or other metal item, please contact a member of The Ring Finders.

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College Ring Lost While Fishing in Wheeler Lake…RECOVERED by Diver Decatur, Alabama!

Contact:

Christina McCree – Ring Finder for northern Alabama and southern/middle Tennessee…call or text ASAP, anytime 24/7…610-504-6135

Just after 12:30pm on Monday (April 4th, 2022), I received a text message from Jonathan stating that he had lost his college ring two days prior while fishing from his boat in Wheeler Lake (part of the Tennessee River) near Decatur, Alabama.  Jonathan said that it was lost in 10-12 feet of water, and he had marked his waypoint on his boat’s sonar graph.  Jonathan asked if I thought his ring was recoverable.  I told him that there was a good chance since he marked his waypoint.  But if the visibility was bad, then it would make it harder, but not impossible and we could definitely give it a shot or two.

I quickly checked the weather and realized that the remainder of the week called for rain or cooler weather and the weekend was much worse (lows in the 30s, highs in the 50s).  That day was the only decent day for the rest of the week.  It was sunny and in the mid-70s.  It was pretty much go now or wait at least a week or two.  We decided to take advantage of our only good day.  We both took off from work for the remainder of the day.  Jonathan went to get his boat ready, and I started gathering up my dive gear.  It took me about 1.5 hours to get everything ready–topping off batteries and making sure I had all essential dive equipment, including my colder weather 7mm Henderson Greenprene wetsuit, hood, gloves, and boots.  I don’t own tanks just yet, so I opted to take my new Blu3 Nomad Diving System (floating surface supplied air system), because a trip to my dive shop would’ve added at least an additional hour.  I’ve already used my Blu3 Nemo on numerous occasions, so I felt comfortable using the bigger Nomad.

It was about 3:45pm by the time I met Jonathan at the boat launch ramp at Ingalls Harbor in Decatur, Alabama.  We chatted for a few minutes about the loss.  Jonathan explained that he was very dehydrated the day he lost his ring.  He was standing on the starboard side of his boat when the college ring he bought back in 2015 to commemorate him earning his master’s degree from the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) slid right off his finger and into the water.  Jonathan felt helpless as he watched his ring sink to the bottom of the lake.  He immediately marked the waypoint on his boat’s sonar graph.  This would later turn out to be our saving grace.  Jonathan initially thought that he would be okay with the loss of his ring, but it really hit him hard on the drive home.  He knew he needed it back!  Trying to figure out how to recover it led him to a Google search and, ultimately, discovery of The Ring Finders Metal Detecting Service website.

Jonathan helped me load up my dive gear onto his speed boat and we were on our way!  It only took about 5 minutes to arrive on location of Jonathan’s waypoint he titled “MY RING OFF STARBOARD” (picture below).  Jonathan dropped his anchor and I started setting up my dive gear.  Shortly after, I was in the water using my Blu3 Nomad Dive System and Minelab Excalibur metal detector.  The water temperature was about 55 degrees, but I felt very comfortable in my 7mm wetsuit, dive hood, and dive gloves.  I decided to use a circular grid system due to the open area location of loss.  I made my descent and attached my grid line.  Visibility was better than I thought, but not the greatest.  I could see about a foot in front of my face and would lose some visibility once the bottom started stirring up.  I started my circular grid rotation.  I checked 2 targets, but could not recover the items.  I assumed that they were too deep and could not be Jonathan’s ring.  The third target had a good ring to it (pun intended lol).  I started feeling with my gloved hand and felt like I had the target in my grasp.  I thought it might be a clam shell, because I had already found a few of those on the first two signals.  But I soon realized that it wasn’t a clam shell.  I started feeling the shape of a ring!  I brought it closer to my face mask and saw that beautiful glimmer of gold and gleam of the emerald stone!  Wow, what an incredible moment!!!  I was almost in shock!  I shook the muck off the ring and studied it for a minute.  I immediately thanked the Lord for what seemed like the miraculous recovery in the middle of a massive lake!

I put the ring over my gloved ring finger.  It felt snug, so I felt comfortable keeping it there until I was topside.  I turned off my detector and made my ascent.  Jonathan took my metal detector and I swam over to the ladder.  I said, “hey Jonathan, BAM!!!” and held out my clenched fist with his ring.  He went nuts with excitement!  My favorite part of every ring recovery!  I took Jonathan’s sentimental UIW college ring off my finger and handed it over to him.  He said that he couldn’t believe it!  He helped me onboard, and we celebrated!  We took a moment to reflect on how this ring was recovered.  Something so small, in such a large lake, found 2 days later by a waypoint grid (which I’ve been told that waypoints can be off by about 20 feet or so).  But this one was spot on!  I was only about 5-7 feet from my downline.  I was also only underwater for 17 minutes according to my Shearwater Peregrine Dive Computer.  I believe in my heart that this ring was found by divine intervention.  God is so good, and He deserves all the glory!  It was such a beautiful day, and the dive recovery went as smoothly as I hoped and prayed for.

I packed up my dive gear while Jonathan got a few casts in.  His ring was lost while practicing for an upcoming bass fishing tournament being held on Saturday (April 9th, 2022).  I wish him all the best in the fishing tournament!

We set out on the water that day to the “X” on Jonathan’s map and we found gold, baby!!!

If you or someone you know has lost a ring, jewelry, or other metal item, please contact a member of The Ring Finders.

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