#how do I find a lost gold ring in the sand Tag | Page 3 of 3 | The Ring Finders

Gold Ring, Lost In The Snow, in Bath, Maine Found 3 Months Later, With A Metal Detctor

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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On Saturday, April 20th, I received a text, from Sandra. The text said,

“Hi! I saw that you do metal detecting. A few months ago I lost my mother’s ring. She passed away last month and I’d like to try to find it”.
I replied to Sandra, by asking a few questions,

“Sorry to hear this. A few questions.
1) Do you know where it was lost?
2) Is this private or public property and do you have the authority to let someone metal detect at the property?
3) What kind of ring is it and the metal it is made of?
4) Where are you located?
Thank you,
Dennis”
Sandra replied by telling me,
“Hamilton Audubon sanctuary in the parking lot. I don’t think it would be an issue to check there. I’m not 100% sure that’s where I lost it. But if it’s findable it’s there. Probably along the edge in the grass. It was winter. I am unsure what type of metal. It may have been sterling silver. I am in the Bangor area. Hamilton Audubon Sanctuary is near Bath. I don’t have any time to come down in the next few weeks. I also don’t have anyone in the area. I think I lost the ring out of the parking lot within 5-10 feet of the edge. So hopefully it didn’t get plowed. Also if it’s in the grass hopefully no one else found it”.

I then told Sandra that I would Contact the Hamilton Audubon Sanctuary, a division of Merrymeeting Audubon and Maine Audubon, to receive permission to metal detect, on their property. Metal detecting, on someone’s property, without permission, is illegal and you take the chance of being arrested and having your detector confiscated.
I called the Hamilton Audubon Sanctuary and sent an email, as well. With it being a Saturday, I told Sandra that it would most likely be Monday, before I heard anything back from them. She concurred.
I did hear back from Hamilton Audubon Sanctuary, on Monday, April 22nd, and they granted me permission, to search for the ring. Maine Audubon was also very helpful and supportive of my efforts, to try and recover the lost ring. They even told me the plow may have moved it, further back from the parking lot. I communicated with many people from The Maine Audubon Society, Merrymeeting Audubon and, of course, Hamilton Audubon Sanctuary. They were all, incredibly kind, in granting permission and were really hoping for a successful recovery, for Sandra.
I let Sandra know about the permission and told her that my wife and I would travel to Town of West Bath, about 60 miles, from our home, in Saco, Maine and search for the missing ring on Friday, April 26th. Sandra was happy and hopeful that her ring would be searched for and found.
On Friday, my wife and I traveled to Hamilton Audubon Sanctuary and pulled into the parking lot, at approximately 8:45am. Only one other car, was in the small parking lot and I parked on the far right side of the lot, and decided to start my search on the grass, near the right side entrance. Not certain of the metal, the ring was made of, I would be checking out lots of different targets.
I had searched for about 10 feet, when I received that sweet low tone of gold. Unfortunately, foil, pull tabs, and other low conductive metals can also give me that low tone. Another good sign, was the 12-13 reading, on my Minelab CTX-3030 detector. The 12 would represent a Non-Ferrous metal and the 13 would represent the conductivity, of the metal. Definitely in the gold range, but I really didn’t think I would find it, in under 2 minutes. After all, it was next to the parking lot and road, where lots of trash could have accumulated. As I brushed back the leaves and grass, with my hand. I came across a White Gold Ring, with a Blue Center Stone and 2 small diamonds, on each side of the blue stone. I couldn’t believe it. Not even 2 minutes, my 1st target, turned out to be Sandra’s Mothers Ring, or at least I thought. After all, Sandra was unsure of the metal, the ring was made of and she had never told me if the ring was a band or had any stones. I decided to text Sandra, to let her know I arrived at the location and would like a description of the ring, not telling her I had just found a ring. Sandra texted me right back and told me the following
“Silver with a blue center ring and 4 small diamonds”. Well the color is silver but the metal is definitely white gold and is stamped as such, on the inside of the band. I then texted her back saying, “Awesome. I found it”. I then sent her a photo of her ring. She replied, “Omg that makes me so happy! Thank you so much! It means so much that you found it. It’s been keeping me up after she died so thank you”. I just love being able to help people, like Sandra.
I was able to call and talk to Sandra, Friday night, after she got home, from work. She was extremely happy and thankful, about getting her ring back soon. Sandra detailed the events, leading up to her losing the ring. She had traveled to Hamilton Audubon Sanctuary, on that day, in January, from Portland, where she was visiting and staying, in a hotel. When she arrived at the Sanctuary, she was leading a group of birds watchers, through the Sanctuary. As the walk started and still in the parking lot area, she noticed her ring was no longer on her finger. The group was standing in snow, just outside the parking lot. She wasn’t sure if she lost it in the snow, or had lost it in Portland, that morning. She searched the snow, but it was useless, as she could not see anything, below the top of the snow. As the days, turned to weeks, which turned into months, Sandra was still thinking of her Mother’s lost ring and then,her mother passed away, in March. This really made Sandra, determined to find the ring. She then performed a Google search and found me. At this point, she contacted me and the rest, as they say, is history.
Although we won’t be meeting up, in person, to return the ring, I could just feel her excitement, on the phone. I will be mailing the ring back to her, on Monday. We live just over 3 hours from each other and neither one of us will be traveling near each other’s town, anytime soon.
I just love being able to help people out in their time of need.

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Wedding Ring Lost And Found, In A Gorham, Maine Potato Field, With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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I received a text from Jenn, on January 21, 2024, with the following message

“Curious as to what you charge? My son lost his ring in our potato field this fall “.

I explained to Jenn that I do not charge for my time or service. All I ask for is a Transportation Call Out Fee, to cover my gas, tolls, wear & tear, etc. I then told her for me to travel to Gorham, ME, my Transportation fee would be $25.00, and that’s it.

Jen replied with

“I know an approximate area. We were digging a row when he stopped by to help. I probably don’t know the exact row now but general area. I would say it covers maybe a half acre but probably less. I would think early spring when snow is gone and I can see where rows were would be best in narrowing things down. “I used a metal detector one day and found some very large nails, but did not find the ring. “That could be do to operator error”.

I replied,    “Absolutely willing to help”.

Jenn replied,

“Great, his ring is tungsten. I will reach back out when I can see the ground and narrow down the search area. How “deep” do the detectors go? The day we were working, we would run the old potato digger down thru the row. We would then pick up these large clumps of weeds and dirt and throw in the previous row, then run the potato digger back down the row to uncover more potatoes.  So there is the possibility it came off while throwing weeds and dirt and be buried that way or just buried from the digger”.

Jenn then told me she would reach out to me in the spring, after the snow melted and the ground wasn’t frozen. Jenn and I did communicate, in mid April. Because of our individual schedules. We booked Tuesday, April 23rd as the day I would go to her farm, and search for her son’s wedding ring.

I arrived at her farm, in Gorham, at approximately 8:30am. We made small talk and she told me the story of her farm. The name of her farm is Findview Farm and has been a generational working farm, since 1820.  WOW, a farm serving the local community for over 200 years. I love supporting these farms and local businesses. 

I then started searching for the wedding ring, after Jenn showed me the approximately 1/2 acre potato field. I decided to perform an East/West grid, across the width of the field. I searched for approximately 3 hours that day with my CTX-3030 detector, with a 17 inch coil, to cover as much of the field as possible. I ended up finding 4-5 spent shell casings, other small brass items, nails, pieces of old farmhouse equipment, etc.. Unfortunately, no wedding ring.

I told Jenn I would return, in the next week or so and this time, I would bring a smaller coil, to see if I could get better depth, in the deep troughs, of the potato rows. My 17 inch coil couldn’t get down into the actual rows, that had been plowed and would just glide over the top.

On Sunday April 28th, I returned to Findview Farm and resumed my search. While I was searching, Jenn’s son Tom, came over. It was Tom’s ring, that was lost. Tom explained that he felt the ring coming off, as he was throwing some of the potato plants, out of the rows, after harvesting the potatoes, themselves. A visual search was not successful. Tom also pointed out the area, of the field m he thought the ring would be in. Unfortunately the field had been plowed, last fall and the ring may have been moved or pushed down deeper, into the fertile farm soil.

I then went to the area that Tom pointed out. I would perform a North/South grid today. I wasn’t finding many targets at all. After approximately an hour and 45 minutes I received a nice, repeatable tone and a 12-32 on my detector screen, indicating a non-ferrous target, which I was hoping for. The target was in one of the deep troughs of the potato rows. I dug about 4-5 inches down and couldn’t see anything. I took my pinpointer and located the target, in the hole. I started to wipe away some of the dirt and I saw the ring, I had found it. I the called Jenn and She and Tom, came right over, from the corn field, out back that they were working in.

I showed them the hole the ring was located in and they were both extremely happy. After approximately 7 1/2 months, Tom was wearing his wedding ring again. I absolutely love reuniting people with their lost items.

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Property Marker Found With A Metal Detector, In Cape Elizabeth, Maine

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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On Tuesday evening, April 9th, I received a call from Angie. She and her husband, Adrian, had purchased a home in Cape Elizabeth, last fall. They now wanted to put a fence up, in their backyard. The fence would run from the back right side of the property, to the back left side of the property, only. No fence would be put up alongside the home, or in the front. Unfortunately, they were unsure where the exact property line was, in the backyard. They had been quoted $3000.00 for a survey of the property, but if we could find the markers, they could save the $3000.00. They had a map of the property, showing the distances between the property markers but were not exactly sure how to start.

Now, property markers can be tricky because of many different factors. Are they even made of metal? There are lots of granite and rock property markers, here in New England.

I once was called to search for property markers, when a neighbor was caught, moving them. All I found was a lot, and I mean a lot of nails.

Another time, I searched for 4 property markers, finding just two. The other two, had been moved or washed downstream, in a flood, which also changed the direction of the stream. The same flood caused road damage and a new culvert was put in, either moving the marker or burying it, with all the fill that was used for the new culvert. I also know that people have removed property markers, because they were in the way, when mowing the lawn. So, as you see, property markers may be a hit or miss proposition.

I arrived at Angie and Adrian’s home promptly at 8:00 am. I was told that a neighbor had a property survey performed , a few years back and the neighbor had a property marker put in, on the left backside of the backyard. As we walked to the right backside of the property, Adrian also showed me a granite marker, in the ground, on the left front side of their home. Adrian was not sure if it was an actual property marker or not. Once we arrived at the right backside of the property, Adrian told me that the telephone pole on the far side of the property, was supposed to line straight up, to the right backside property marker. As I lined up the telephone pole, to close to the street, where the right backside marker should be, I received a strong Ferrous signal, on my Minelab CTX-3030 metal detector. After digging the target m it turned out to be a rather large and old nail. As I started swinging again, I received another strong Ferrous signal, less than a foot from the nail. I dug the target and SUCCESS, we had found the metal rod property marker. I then told Adrian, that I would like to measure the distance between the property marker, I just found and the granite marker, on the right front side of the house. The distance should be 103.67’. I then secured one one of my 300’ tape measure and walked it down, from the granite marker, to the metal rod marker, I had just found. When I looked at the measurement, I had to smile, as the measurement was exactly what it was suppose to be, 103.67’. We just verified the granite marker was, in fact their property marker, for the right front of the house.

I then wanted to measure from the marker, I had found, to the marker that the neighbor had put in a few years back, and near the telephone pole. The measurement should be 207.87’. As I arrived at the neighbors marker, near the telephone pole, I looked at the tape measure and we had another match. The measurement was 207.87’, just like it was suppose to be. Now, just one more marker.

I walked the tape measure down to the left front of the house, from the neighbors marker, in the back left of the property. The measurement should be 103.67’ and when I got to 105 feet, I stopped and started searching, with my metal detector. I found another 5-6 nails, but no marker, in the area, it should have been. The area has been disturbed, as there is a culvert, telephone pole, looking fairly new. There is also a rock wall that looks fairly new and could have been built over the marker.

Angie and Adrian were extremely pleased that I was able to find their one metal rod properly marker and then measure it out, to the known neighbors marker and the granite marker, in the left front of the property. They can now use the $3000.00 they didn’t spend on a property survey and put it towards their new fence. 

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Gold Ring With 3 Diamonds Found On A Maine Beach, Returned To Owner In California

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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On October 9th, 2023, I received the following PM, from Wendy,

“I lost a gold ring about two-three weeks ago somewhere between the tennis courts (GRB Assoc) and the entrance of the beach in front of the Tides – at GRB. Had I known of your service I would have contacted you immediately.

I live in CA – if you think you could help – I would greatly appreciate it. If you think it is a lost cause – I totally understand”.

I immediately replied and told Wendy I would be happy to help. Wendy replied with the details of what transpired, leading up to the ring being lost.

Wendy had been playing tennis at the Goose Rocks Beach Association tennis courts and had taken her ring off and put it in her pocket. After chasing a few errant tennis balls and walking over to a utility shed, Wendy then walked a 1/2 mile to the beach and once there, climbed over the boulders at the entrance to the beach , that the town of Kennebunkport had placed there, in preparation for Hurricane/Tropical Storm Lee, which was scheduled to arrive the next day. Once Wendy climbed over the boulder and got to the beach, she realized her ring was missing. That’s right, the ring could be on Goose Rocks Beach Association property, anywhere along the 1/2 mile walk to the beach and the beach itself. On top of all that, the ring had been lost 3 weeks previously. Wendy had retraced her steps all the way back to the GRBA Property, without any luck. Well, I do love a challenge and this was certainly a challenge.

Two days later, I went to GRB, in Kennebunkport and thought to myself, “How am I going to find her ring that was lost on September 14th, almost 4 weeks ago. Well, start where she found the ring to be missing and work your way up to GRBA property, a 1/2 mile away.”

I decided too start at the Edgewood Avenue beach entrance , which is where Wendy said she climbed over the boulders, then go up to Wildwood Avenue, Community House Road and then to the Association tennis courts. This is the route Wendy said she took. I finished up at the beach entrance 1st and no luck. As I went up Edgewood Avenue, I detected the lawns, as I stood on the side of the roads, reaching onto the lawns between 3 and 5 feet. After approximately 3 hours, I had completed all of Edgewood and Wildwood, up to Community House Road. As I walked back to my car, I also checked some lawns on the opposite side of the street, in the off chance the ring had rolled/bounced across the road, or even thrown by a lawnmower, sometime in the last 3+ weeks. Nothing even close to being gold was detected, but there was still a lot of detecting to do and ground to cover.

The next day, October 12th, I went back and detected the GRBA property. All the walkways, around the tennis courts , out near the shed and the lawns. Again, 3 hours and nothing. All I had left was Community House Road. I wasn’t able to get back there until October 20th. When I did, I decided to try detecting around the entrance, across from The Tides Club. Wendy had originally mentioned she entered the beach there and it was 1 block south of Edgewood Avenue entrance. Well, no luck there either, so I drove back up to the GRBA property, parked and worked my way down Community House Road to Wildwood Avenue. Still no luck. I the crossed the street and searched that side of Community House Road, back up to GRBA property. Absolutely nothing.

On October 26th, after watching the news all day, about the Mass Shooting, in Lewiston, Maine, just 45-50 miles away from my home, I just had to get out of the house. I decided I would go detecting at GRB and a negative low tide was enticing. I would also check a few spots on Edgewood and Wildwood, that were on the opposite side of the road Wendy had been walking. I detected the low tide 1st with only a few coins found. As I was searching the beach , I found myself about to exit the beach at Proctor Avenue, when, BANG. A very solid low tone and a 12-20 repeating on my Minelab CTX-3030’s VDI Screen. Definitely got excited on this target, as it was definitely in the gold range. I removed my pinpointer and stuck it into the sand. I found the target and hand dug out the item that was 4-5 inches deep. The last hand of scooped sand revealed a gold ring with 3 diamonds. YES, I had found Wendy’s ring, by accident, or had I?  Wendy never mentioned she entered the beach across from Proctor Avenue. She had only mentioned Tides Club entrance, which was 2 blocks north and Edgewood, one block north. Could Wendy have gotten her street names mixed up. She was after all back home in California.

I texted Wendy and had her accurately describe the ring and telling her I had found a ring but not in the area she described. Wendy immediately texted back gold ring, 3 diamonds and a spring clasp on the inside of the ring to fit her finger better. I had never seen a ring with a spring clasp and the ring I found, had one Wendy described the ring perfectly. When I told her I had definitely found her ring after being lost for 6 weeks, to the day, her response was “OMG!!!! Where and how did you find it”? After going over the details, Wendy agreed she most likely had gotten her streets mixed up. She then told me

“Bless your heart. I am so happy! I never, ever thought I’d see that ring again”.

Now the only thing left to do is to mail Wendy her ring, in California, which I did, asap.

Wendy received her ring, in California on 10/30/23 and texted me the following, “Thank you so much Dennis! So thrilled to get my ring back”! Wendy also sent me a photo of her holding her ring for the 1st time in almost 7 weeks.

I just absolutely love helping people like Wendy. There is no better feeling than to help people in need.

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Gold Wedding Band Lost In The Sand, Recovered and Returned

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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Sunday July 30, 2023 is a day I will never forget. I was able to recover and return, not 1, not 2, but 3 rings in one day.  The first recovery happened as I was already at the beach and detecting down near the low tide line. A woman approached me and asked if I could find her gold wedding ring. I asked her if she had lost it in the water. She replied that she had lost it up in the dry sand. I then asked her how she lost it. She told me that she had taken her ring off and placed it on her towel so that she could go swimming in the ocean. As we walked to the area where she lost it, she told me her name was Joanne and that Joanne had come to the beach with her family and some friends. When we arrived at the location of where she lost it, she told me that she picked up the towel to dry off, after swimming in the ocean and the ring must have fallen into the sand. She then pointed to the area where she thought it had fallen into the sand. I passed the 17 in coil of my CTX-3030 over the area and on the backswing , I received a sold target and then got the pinpointed out, located the target and Joanne  had her wedding band back. Literally less than 20 seconds to locate the ring.
As she was thanking me, one of her friends asked me if I could find his ring. WHAT,  You lost your ring also? Yes, he replied. Wow, I couldn’t believe it. I will now finish the story on my next blog.

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