I received a voicemail and text message from Matthew on Friday, 8 May 2020. I called him back and he told me that the day prior, he lost his very sentimental high school class ring that he’s worn every day for the past 30 years! Matthew explained that he was doing some yard work, and he saw his ring fly off while tossing a stick over his fence and into the wood line. He rented a metal detector and tried to find his ring, but quickly realized the detector was not top notch. He went back on Google and came across The Ring Finders. I told him that I would be able to come out that Sunday for a search, since I was helping a local flower shop deliver Mother’s Day orders on Friday and Saturday.
My husband, Lindell, and I went out on Sunday afternoon armed with our Equinox 800, AT Pro, and Garrett carrots (pin pointers). We thought that the ring should be behind the fence based on Matthew’s story and test ring throw. Matthew remembered one item flying straight and one item flying towards the right and into the woods. The search was fairly difficult based on the amount of brush, old fence posts, and trees to detect around. There were also a lot of signals to check from random items being discarded over the years. We did our best to detect around everything while trying to keep a tight gridline going. We also used our pin pointers where our detector coils wouldn’t fit. After about 2-3 hours we had to call it quits. Matthew thanked us, but based on my persistence, I knew I would be back out. He lived close by in Huntsville, so the drive was fairly short.
I went back out in the morning that next Friday, 15 May 2020, so that I would have plenty of time to search. I decided to check the yard first in case the ring didn’t make it over the fence. No ring, so I headed back out in the woods. I thoroughly searched around all the fence debris in case the ring bounced down in one of the gaps. After another 2 hours, I felt confident that the ring was not in that area. I decided to try back out in the yard.
One of the last areas I searched in the yard was where Matthew was standing when he threw the stick, which I didn’t check earlier in the day (lesson learned lol). The grass was very short, and I thought we would’ve been able to eyeball a large gold class ring. I checked a couple of surface targets with my pin pointer and started to see a gold outline of a ring move that was barely sticking out of the ground. Matthew’s lost ring!!! The ring had definitely been stepped on and was flush with the ground. Barely visible and couldn’t be seen by just eyeballing it. I jumped up and started celebrating! I ripped off my gloves, tossed up my hat, and thanked the Lord! I was so happy, relieved, and honestly shocked that the ring was right under my nose the entire time. Matthew was probably standing on the ring when he did the test throw. A great reminder to always think outside of the box, because rings sometimes end up where we least expect them to.
Matthew had to work that day, but his wife and daughter were in the house. They didn’t hear me celebrating, so I calmly took the ring to the front door for the surprise reveal. This is the best part of the job and it never gets old! It’s hard to put their reaction into words, but I would say it’s pretty close to pure joy, happiness, and amazement! Matthew’s wife and daughter then decided to surprise him at work. I can only imagine his reaction. Matthew’s ring has a 30-year story attached to it, and now that story gets to continue.
I’ve been waiting for Matthew to send a smile photo before I posted this blog, but haven’t received it yet. I really wanted to get this posted before Memorial Day. I should’ve had his wife or daughter take a photo while I was there. Or I should’ve taken a selfie with the ring. Until I receive his photo, I’ll just post one of me with a big smile and a thumbs up for another successful ring find!
If you or someone you know has lost a ring, jewelry, or other metal item, please contact a member of The Ring Finders.
