#how do I find a lost gold ring in the water Tag | 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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Lost 1982 Class Ring Found in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, with a Metal Detector. Returned to Owner

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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On Friday , February 9, 2024, I decided to brave the cold windy beach conditions and take advantage, of the negative low tides , here in Maine. We have had some big winter storms in the last month and a lot of sand has been moved.

I found lots of crusty coins, a Milwaukee Electric Saw (crazy things under the sand) and a 10K 1982 Class Ring. As soon as I got home, I got the magnifying glass out and determined the ring was from Billerica Memorial High School, in Billerica, Massachusetts. Billerica is approximately 90 miles from the resort town of Old Orchard Beach, Maine, that I found the ring in.

The ring is very small and most likely a woman’s ring. I then searched the inside of the band, saw a 10K mark and the initials of JMG. I then performed an internet search and to my amazement, I found an online yearbook, for the 1982 school year. I found two different students, with those initials. One was a male and the other a female. I just knew it had to belong to the female, because of the very small size.

On Monday, when the school reopened, I sent an email to the principal, of the High School and explained I was trying to return the ring and if they could help with contact information. His reply was that they do not have contact for past students, but the Alumni Association, may be able to help. I contacted the Alumni Association but they would not respond, other than one time and never responded back to me again.

I then posted the found High School ring on many of the local Billerica Facebook groups, including Billerica Memorial High School Class Of 1982. I received lots of comments and everyone knew that the ring must belong to Jean, a 1982 graduate. I was able to get a phone number and when I called, I was able to speak with Jean’s Husband, Bill. I explained to Bill what was going on and he wasn’t sure if Jean had ever lost her ring, but he would ask her when he got home.

Bill called back and yes, Jean did not have her ring, as it wasn’t in her jewelry box. As a matter of fact, Jean didn’t even know that the ring was missing. When I told them the ring was found in Maine, Bill told me the only place it would have been lost in Maine, was in Old Orchard Beach, where they often went to, on vacation. When I mentioned I found the ring with my metal detector, down in the wet sand, at low tide, I was told they the family would always lay on the beach, in front of Palace Playland, an amusement park, right next to the Old Orchard Beach Pier. Well, that is exactly where I found it. As far as Jean not knowing the ring was missing was easily explained. Jean’s daughters would often wear the ring and also a granddaughter. They were allowed to wear it but were to put it back, when not wearing the ring. Although, none of the daughters or granddaughter will admit to it, It most likely was being worn by one of the girls, when it was lost, as they swan, in the water. The ring was most likely lost sometime between 2012 and 2019, as the family hasn’t been back to Old Orchard Beach, since Covid started.

On Saturday, March 16th, my wife and I drove to Billerica to return the ring. Unfortunately, something unexpectedly came up and Jean could not be there to get her ring back personally. She instead, sent her Husband, Bill and youngest daughter, Katie. Although it was disappointing not to meet Jean, I was extremely happy to have returned the ring to her family.

There is no better feeling than to return these precious items back to the rightful owner.

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Lost Gold Wedding Ring found in Waterville, Maine

  • from Rockport (Maine, United States)
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After being referred by fellow Ring Finder Dennis Boothby, who was unavailable, I took a ride up to Waterville this morning to reunite Sidney with his lost wedding band. The ring had been lost at the beginning of the month while clearing grass and brush on his property. Although he had rented a metal detector and tried finding it himself, he was unsuccessful. The search area was large about the size of a football field, but my decision to start at the brush pile proved to be the right choice with a new record for me set, by locating the ring in under a minute from beginning the search. I guess we can both give thanks for a second day in a row, Sidney for having the ring he has worn for 32 years of marriage back on his finger, and I for having picked the right end of that football field to start from. With Christmas coming I will be directing a portion of the generous reward I received toward sponsoring a local child’s Angel Tree wish.

 

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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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