Christina McCree Tag | Page 2 of 5 | The Ring Finders

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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Wedding Band Representing 42 Years of Marriage Lost While Gardening…FOUND in Huntsville, AL!

Contact:

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

This afternoon, Tuesday (March 28th, 2023), I received a call from Susan explaining that her husband, George, had lost his wedding band while gardening earlier in the day.  They’ll be celebrating 43 years of marriage in November!  I was still at work, but told Susan that I would grab my gear as soon as I got off and head their way.

Just before 5pm, I met George at their home in Huntsville, Alabama.  George told me that he knew he had his ring on before starting the yard work.  He then proceeded to show me everything he did: moving dirt in a wheelbarrow, putting leaves and debris in a bag, and tilling the garden.  George told me that he really thought his wedding band ended up in the spot where he was tilling the garden dirt.  I decided to start my search there.

The tilled dirt area was roughly 10×20 feet.  I was using my Minelab Equinox 900 for this search.  I started a grid and within a few minutes, I had my first signal.  The item was beneath the ground, so I moved on.  Right next to that, I received another good signal.  I gently brushed the ground with my detector coil and saw the glimmer of gold shining through the dirt!  George was standing nearby, so I said to him, “hey Sir, I think we found your wedding band!”  George came over and exclaimed, “that’s it!”  I snapped a picture before we cleaned it off.

Both George and Susan were so happy and thankful to have George’s wedding ring back.  This was THE ring that Susan placed on George’s finger over 42 years ago!  Such a blessing being about to use this hobby of metal detecting to help others, and I pray that I get to continue helping others for many years to come.  Please tell your friends and family about The Ring Finders Metal Detecting service.  Awaiting my next adventure…

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

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iPhone Dropped into Smith Lake in Arley, AL…Recovered by Ring Finder with Metal Detector and Blu3 Nemo!

Contact:

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

It’s been a slow year so far on lost item calls.  This could be a good thing — people aren’t losing stuff, or they just don’t know that a service like The Ring Finders exists.

On Friday (March 17th, 2023), my husband and I were just pulling up to our house after enjoying a nice brunch in town when I received a call from Corey.  Corey explained that his girlfriend’s (Sara) iPhone had dropped into Smith Lake the evening prior.  He thought the water was about 5 feet deep in that spot and it wasn’t a large search area, because of how the phone entered the water.  Corey and Sara had just finished kayaking when Sara set her iPhone on a spring-loaded box on the pier.  It was dark outside, and Corey didn’t know it was there.  When he popped the box lid open, her phone slid off into the water.  I had no other commitments that day and it was my Friday off, so I told Corey that I would gather up my gear and be on my way.

It was a one hour and 25 minute drive from my home in Harvest to the lake house in Arley, Alabama.  I met up with Corey and Sara and they showed me what happened.  They helped me haul my gear from my truck down to the pier.  My handheld Hawkeye depth finder showed the depth to be between 5.3 to 6.5 feet depending on where I was standing around the deck box.  It also showed the water temperature at 47.3 degrees Fahrenheit.  A little chilly for my liking, but I had my 7mm Henderson Greenprene wetsuit, 5mm hood, 5mm gloves, and 7mm boots to keep me warm.  Plus, I didn’t expect to be in the water that long since it was a phone and small search area.  Then once I got into the water, I felt very comfortable in that gear.

I got geared up and hopped in the water.  I could touch bottom as I got closer to the shoreline, and there were some rocks I could stand on a few feet from where the box was in the photo above.  I had my Minelab Equinox 800 with the 15-inch coil.  I was able to cover most of the area by where the phone would’ve slid into the water.  I had a really good signal that I thought was Sara’s iPhone.  There was about a foot or two drop off to that signal from where I was standing.  However, I had trouble descending because I was too buoyant.  I’ve dove with the Greenprene wetsuit before, but I had my BCD on that time.  This time, I wasn’t using my BCD, so I needed to add more weight.  This took a couple of attempts to get closer to being neutrally buoyant.  I tried diving on that signal again, but had trouble staying down long enough to check it, because I needed just a little more weight.  While I had a wrist mounted dive light, the visibility wasn’t the greatest and the phone was in a black case.  I was hoping that I could just free dive and recover the phone, but decided to break out my Blu3 Nemo dive system, so that I could take my time to locate the signal while I was submerged.

We got the Nemo setup, and I relocated the signal.  I made my descent and was able to hold onto a rock to keep my position steady.  I searched around with my flashlight, fanned away some silt, and thought I caught sight of a phone.  I grabbed it and sure enough, I had Sara’s iPhone in hand!!!  I immediately thanked the Lord!  I resurfaced and waved the phone for everyone to see.  Big smiles and cheering all around!  Sara and Corey were so happy and thankful for the recovery!

Corey helped me out of the lake.  I took off the wetsuit and grabbed some dry clothes to change into.  We all headed up to the lake house to warm up.  Corey’s mom, Hilary, was there along with Corey’s brother and sister.  We all enjoyed some friendly conversation before heading back down to the pier.  We took some photos and packed up my gear.  Sara now had her iPhone back, including the sim card that contained all of her cherished memories — pictures, videos, and other important data.

Thank you, God, for another successful recovery and safe trip!  As I always say, I love getting to go on these adventures, hear everyone’s story, and find/return these precious items to people!  Best job and feeling in the world!!!  Proud to be a member of Chris Turner’s, The Ring Finders, and looking forward to the next adventure…

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

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Breast Cancer Survivor Ring…FOUND in Car in Harvest, Alabama!

  • 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

Just after noon on Saturday, October 22nd, 2022, I received a text message from Paula stating that she had lost her ring in her car and wanted to know if I was available to look for it.  She said that she lived in Harvest, Alabama.  That’s the same city I live in, and she was only a 6-minute drive from my house!  At the time of Paula’s text, I was helping a local flower shop deliver flowers, because all the regular drivers were unavailable that day.  I told Paula that I could swing by after I was done or the following day.  I finished the deliveries around 3:15 and told Paula that I was going to run by my house to change and grab my equipment.

I arrived at Paula’s house around 4pm.  I asked her to tell/show me what happened and the story behind her ring.  Paula told me that she was a breast cancer survivor and her best friend from Jacksonville State University had given her this special ring on her 5-year anniversary of being cancer free.  They had seen the ring in an antique store in New Orleans.  Her friend had secretly purchased the ring and held it until the anniversary to surprise Paula.  You can imagine the sentimental value this ring held to Paula.  I was determined to find and return it to her!

Paula said that the day before she was sitting in her car and took off the ring to put on lotion.  She set the ring on her lap, but it fell onto the divider she had between her seat and the center console.  The ring landed on some papers in the divider, but when she went to grab it, her ring was gone.  Paula and her mom looked for about an hour but could not find it.  Paula told me that she found out about The Ring Finders by watching a YouTube video of a ring recovery in a car by one of my good Rind Finder buddies, Jeff Morgan “Seattle Ring Hunter”.

I grabbed my high lumens flashlight and endoscope and started searching.  I started by feeling around the seat and floorboard.  Next, I used my endoscope to search under the seat, in the air vent, and other crevices.  I didn’t find the ring in any of those spots.  I decided to research along the seat and found a metal bracket.  It had a tray and when I slid my hand in there, I could feel a ring!  I was able to carefully grab it with my hand and when I pulled it out, I saw a gorgeous 14K white gold antique looking ring.  This was Paula’s special cancer survivor ring!!!  I was so happy to see it and thanked the Lord!

At the time I found the ring, Paula was out talking with her neighbor.  I took some pictures and headed out to surprise Paula.  I introduced myself to her neighbor and said I was trying my best to find Paula’s ring.  At that moment, I opened my hand and said, “is this your ring?”  Paula gasped and said, “yes, that’s it!”  She was so happy and thankful that she had her ring back!

We took some pictures and I chatted with Paula for a few minutes afterwards.  I told her about some of my prior searches.  Paula was so fascinated by The Ring Finders and excited that one lived so close by.  We said that maybe we’d run into each other somewhere around town.  Paula gave me a big hug and thanked me again.  I headed home and Paula was now able to enjoy the rest of her Saturday evening with her beautiful ring back on her finger where it belongs.  I love getting to go on these adventures, hear these stories, and find/return these sentimental items to people!  Best job and feeling in the world!!!

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 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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Cell Phone and Wallet Found in the Street…Happily Returned to Owner in Harvest, Alabama!

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On Wednesday afternoon (August 3rd, 2022), my husband, Lindell, and I were on our way to my doctor’s appointment.  Right after we turned out of our subdivision, we spotted a cell phone and wallet lying in the middle of the street.  I was able to safely pick up both items.  The iPhone was in good working condition.  The wallet was intact and contained everything you would imagine…driver’s license, debit card, credit cards, and numerous other important items.  There were a few cars driving by, so thankfully the items weren’t run over or picked up by the wrong person.

I didn’t see any contact or emergency contact info on the lock screen.  We had the gentleman’s, (Robert) address since the wallet contained his driver’s license.  Robert lived in the neighborhood right across the street from us.  We stopped by Robert’s house immediately after my appointment, but nobody was home.  We planned to go back later in the evening.

Right after we got home, we saw a few text messages coming through on Robert’s cell phone from the Verizon store in Madison, Alabama.  We Googled the phone number and were soon on the line with one of the store reps.  We told them that we found the cell phone and asked if the gentleman was there.  Robert was and they put him on the phone.  We introduced ourselves and let Robert know the good news that not only did we find his cell phone, but we also had his wallet.  Robert was so happy and relieved!!!  He was in the process of getting a new cell phone and putting a hold on his bank and credit cards.  Getting his wallet back would also save him the headache of a trip to the DMV for a new license, plus replacing all the other items in his wallet.  We gave Robert our address and he was on his way over.

Lindell and I handed Robert’s cell phone and wallet over to him after he arrived.  He was one happy guy!  Robert told us that he had set them on the back of his truck and went to get the mail.  When he got back to his truck, he had forgotten he put them there and drove off.

While this isn’t one of my typical stories, it was a successful return, nonetheless.  I’m always happy to help and thank God for putting Lindell and I in the right place at the right time!

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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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