I was so happy to have helped and find this women’s wedding ring! In her backyard while sitting on her patio, she raised her hand and the wedding ring slipped off into the grass. With some extensive searching and no finds, they contacted me for the final search!
I received a text this past Monday 11th from a wife. She said her husband had lost his wedding band in the backyard about a month ago while cleaning out a pool skimmer trap. She was searching the internet and came across www.theringfinders.com where she found my contact information. I made the trip to Calhoun that afternoon and met up with her. She said her husband was still at work, but should be there pretty soon. She said they had actually purchased a metal detector for themselves, but no luck in finding the ring. When Alfred got home he was showing me how he lost his ring cleaning the skimmer with his left hand and throwing the trash over the chain link fence with an underhand motion. He said he felt the ring leave his hand but didn’t see where it went. With that underhand throwing motion I immediately figured the ring had gone over and into the brushy area behind the fence. I eliminated the grass and the plant bed first of course, but no luck. With the chain link fence there I couldn’t get close to it at all without sending my detector into an overload condition. So that part would have to be searched by hand if I didn’t find the ring back in the brush. I started back behind the fence, (poison ivy there too), as well as a snake, but didn’t get a good look at it, it was leaving the area. I started from the right side and went left directly at the back of the fence. The second pass was from the left back to the right, on a steep slope. Of course I was finding bits of metal trash, we all do. On the third pass from right to left I got to right where I figured the ring could have gone with that underhanded throw. The first thing I found there was a rusted bottle cap, then about three feet away I got two signals on my CTX. A strong 12:40 showing four inches, but literally inches away from that signal was another one, a strong 12:28 showing one inch. I hadn’t seen it yet, but that 12:28 at one inch brought a grin to my face. I stooped over and under my coil I saw a faint hint of something shining back at me. I snapped a picture of it before I moved it, and you can barely catch a glimpse of something out of place under the layer of leaves. The 12:40 signal turned out to be a toy car. The search took about 1.5 hours.
Hunter and Ashley are two of the nicest people you could ever meet. That probably saved their ring, because I’m not going to lie, I almost passed by this one. Ashley had reached out to me online Saturday after the Blue Angels show and explained that while they were on the beach with thousands of other spectators, Hunter’s ring had come off in the sand. They had scoured the area but unfortunately couldn’t find it. I told them that I would be out that way in the water the next day and I would take a look. Fast forward to the next morning and my Father-in-law Tom and I were way later getting out there than we had planned while we decided if the weather was going to hold. When we pulled up I walked down to the area with my land machine and I could see 7 people with detectors within 100 yds of the area. To make matters worse, the beach machine that rakes the sand for debris had already covered the area. I talked myself into believing that the ring was gone and walked back to the car to get my water machine. By the time I got down to the water to join Tom, my conscience was eating at me. I told him I was going to run back down there anyway and take a look so I could at least say I tried. On the way, I noticed that a lot of the detectorists didn’t have the same caliber of equipment and their technique left a bit to be desired. I started to feel like maybe there was a chance after all. Sometimes I really feel like God will put you where he wants you if you will listen and obey. Sure enough, I didn’t make 3 passes and I got a nice gold tone. I reached down with the scoop and pulled out Hunter’s ring. They came by my house later in the day and I got to meet them and see their happy smiles in person. The hugs alone made the search all worth it. Congrats to you both.
Imagine that you are getting married in two weeks. Imagine that your fiancé proposed to you with a beautiful diamond ring. Now imagine that you have come down to Fort Walton Beach to celebrate with friends before the wedding and you dropped the ring in the Gulf of Mexico. That is definitely a problem! 😳. To make matters worse, this is no ordinary ring and as Hillary and her friends explained it to me, I knew I had to help. This ring had an amazing story because the main diamond actually came from the Grandmother of Hillary’s fiancé. It had been with their family when they fled Germany all the way back before the Holocaust. They had come over and became part of a small German settlement in Mississippi called Gluckstadt. To build a life and pass down your ring to your Grandchildren so they could start a new life with their loved one is a true American dream. Was I going to let this American story end today??? On the 4th of July??? Not if I could help it! Hillary and I came up with a plan and I agreed to meet her at sunrise to get past the Holiday traffic and all of the people in the gulf. When I got there I saw that the waves were pretty big and they were crashing into the sand right where Hillary felt like she lost the ring. I headed out and immediately got knocked back so hard that I took the sunglasses around my neck back to the beach. I came back out and made it a little way before I again got slammed and my headphones went flying off of my head. As I chased the ear cups I walked back to the beach. Hillary had gone back to the room so I asked her two friends how tall Hillary is. They said she is 5’2”, I smiled and said “guys, I’m almost 6’3” and I weigh 220lbs, there’s no way she could have been walking around out there if the waves were similar in the days before.” They quickly said that Hillary was nervous I might miss it and was erring on the safe side. They both felt like she had lost it closer in. I explained that I would start shallow and move out but I promised I would go as far as needed to find it. I took a few passes as people started to come out to the beach and I got to the area where they had pointed. I got a high tone and battled to scoop it in the surf. I dig every signal on a return so unfortunately this turned out to be a dime but I only went about five feet further when I heard the tone I wanted. Again it was a battle but I was able to gingerly lift the scoop and let the water and sand rush out of it. Staring back at me was a beautiful diamond ring and I was absolutely thrilled. I started walking in with a big smile on my face and they gradually realized that I had it. Hillary was in disbelief until she got it back on her finger and even then she still couldn’t quite believe I had found it. I am so glad that I could help keep this amazing American story going and even add a new chapter that their family will remember. Congratulations Hillary and Happy Independence Day everyone.
‘MERICA!!! 😉🎇🇺🇸
Vancouver Ring Finder Chris Turner- Ring Recovery Specialist…Lost your ring?… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP Anytime 778-838-3463
Yesterday late afternoon I received a call for help from a young man who had lost his wedding band at Spanish Banks Beach in Vancouver. He sounded very upset and really really wanted me to get out there as soon as possible to help find it. I understand what these items mean to people so I jumped in my car rescheduled another search and headed to Spanish Banks.
After asking all my typical questions it sounded like it could be a relatively quick search, I’ve been fooled many times by thinking that. When I arrived I met Chris who showed me a very small area where he believe the ring had fallen, a gathering up my gear and within a minute found his beautiful ring.
It’s amazing how fast the sand can eat up a persons ring and make it near impossible to find a good medley text her and someone who knows how to use it.
This definitely made up for the last three outings where I spent over 14 hours looking for a platinum ring at Kits Beach with no luck. Unfortunately it was lost in the soft sand, but I gave it a good effort.
I was so relieved for this young man to see the ring in my scoop so quickly, sometimes it happens like that and I will take it when I get it. It was great to meet Chris and his wonderful family and to see that smile back where it belongs.
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 means to them, and I get to see how happy they are when I find it…
Anna & her husband were spending some time up at a friend’s cabin in Minnesota. While playing football in the water, her husband’s white gold wedding band was knocked off and lost in the lake. After searching the area as best as they could, they had given up hope of ever finding it. A couple years later they were talking with friends about the incident, one of their friends suggested theringfinders.com – So Anna checked online and gave me a call. The water level was about 3 – 4 feet where he lost it. I figured a shallow water scuba dive would give me the best chance at retrieval. We met up at the cabin and after many shot-gun shells & pull tabs, I found the ring about 5 feet from the dock in approx. 4 feet of water. Congrats on the ring!!!!!
Glad I could help out. :O)
Darrin
I received a call from Mike on Tuesday 28th and he said he had lost his gold signet ring in his backyard several years ago. He said they were moving and the ring was a gift from his wife and he really wanted to find it before they moved. We made arrangements for Wednesday afternoon. Around four years ago he had been clearing brush in the backyard and towards the end of the day he noticed his ring was gone. They had been piling the brush next to the street on the side yard, so that’s where I started my search. I really didn’t think the ring would be there, but I had to eliminate that area of possibility. The huge problem I had to deal with was underground power lines next to the street, (around 14 KV), and it was really messing with my detector. I had to go very slow in that area until I got far enough away that my detector started to settle down a little. After a little over an hour I finally eliminated the side yard. The back of the house had a pretty steep slope that was covered in pine straw mulch. I know from experience that pine straw on a slope can be very slippery. He had mentioned that he had slipped a couple of times on that slope, but didn’t remember exactly where that happened. That’s where I focused my attention next, and after I looked at it more carefully, towards the corner of the house the slope wasn’t quite as steep, so I figured anybody coming through that area would would pick that spot. As I got halfway down the slope I got a consistent 12:20 on my CTX, and it was shallow, (showing one inch). If you’re looking for a gold ring that’s a very good signal. I brushed the straw away and didn’t see anything visible, but my pinpointer said there was something there just under the surface. I brushed the soil a little with my fingers and saw the corner of a gold rim showing through! I called Mike over, as he was just about to go back in the house. His wife came out and she was elated! She said she figured it was gone and never to be found again. I think I was as excited as they were, because that was a tough search having to deal with the underground power lines. Knowing your machine, and asking the right questions makes all the difference. The entire search took around two hours.
(June 25th)
An enjoyable summer day at Pleasant Bay’s Jackknife Cove almost ended in a not so pleasant afternoon. Derek had put his wedding band safe with his glass’s case where it stayed for the hours of beach time. When it was time to leave for the afternoon Dalia took her one-year old’s sun tent down and shook the sand off. Unfortunately, the ring was shaken off with the sand and landed with a “tink” which was heard by all before it disappeared into the sand. As it happens 95% of the time all the searching would not retrieve the ring. It was time for sophisticated equipment to help in the search.
40 minutes after I received a call for the needed help I was standing on the beach with my detector in hand. I was shown where the tent had been. OK I started searching the immediate area of some 10X20 feet. Unbelievable but only two trash targets were found. I checked my equipment, covered the area again with the same results. OK I had to increase the area and added another 10 feet to the breadth of the search area and there it was. I actually saw the ring resting in the sand as I passed my detector’s coil over the ring. I guess Dalia had shaken the tent a bit harder than we thought. I scooped up the ring and let Dalia remove it from the scoop. Smiles, Hoorahs and Thanks with picture taking followed.
Dalia and Derek’s 3rd anniversary in July will not be spoiled by the absence of a wedding band. Congratulations!
I’m an elementary school teacher. It’s a great profession, but comes with stresses that I’d rather not bring home to my family. It was a Tuesday afternoon in April. School dismissed, and I decided some detecting time at my local beach might help me clear my head before heading into the evening with my wife and kids.
Three were a handful of people on the beach, enjoying a bit of sun that was trying to peek through the clouds. I was crouched down working on a signal when a man approached me and asked if my detector could find a missing cell phone. Mohammed explained that his wife had lost her new cell phone in the sand.
I eagerly told him yes, and finished digging my target. It turned out to be a penny.
The city had recently dumped large piles of sand on the beach in preparation of spreading a fresh layer prior to the summer season. Mohammed and his wife were sitting on one of these piles and discovered the phone was missing.
They tried calling the phone, to no avail.
A few minutes of sweeping the mound revealed the phone. When I pulled it out of the sand, it was ringing. They were down the beach looking in other areas. I answered the phone and said, “I found it!”
They were elated. They ran to meet up with me with fist bumps and thank yous. It was a right place-right time situation.
When I got home that night, I was destressed from my day in the classroom, and I was pleased to help out this kind and grateful couple.
“Daddy! Daddy!” my six-year old blubbered, tears streaking her cheeks as she ran to the car. Throwing the car in park and opening the door, I could see there was indeed a crisis. Was she stung by a wasp? Did she fall and bloody her knee? Perhaps there was a conflict with her older sister over who gets to be next on the tire swing.
As I crouched next to her, hugging her closely, she whispered, “Oh, Daddy… I lost it!”
“What, Honey? What did you lose?” I asked.
She was holding her favorite doll, Sally. Sally… with her blue dress and matted-brown hair, little tattoo lines on her legs and arms from when my daughter was first learning how to hold a pen. I knew Sally wasn’t missing, so what had she misplaced?
“My ring, Daddy. My bunny ring. I lost it in the woods.”
I smiled and nearly laughed out loud. She had lost her ring—her metal ring.
I’ve been metal detecting for nearly three years, and have been part of The Ringfinders network for two of those years. I constantly show my four children all of my “treasures” and often get complaints if I mention bringing my detector on a family outing. You you… just in case. 
“Honey, do you know anyone who might be able to find a missing metal ring?” And I smiled.
Like the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Plaza, she lit up from head to toe up with her new realization.
My daddy has a metal detector.
I opened my trunk, took out and turned on my detector in one smooth motion, and walked over to a hammock that hangs on the edge of the woods. Minutes later, her bunny ring was back on her finger and a smile replaced her tears. Dad the superhero; just what every dad longs to be for his daughter.
Although I enjoy helping strangers find lost items, this might be my favorite recovery so far.