How to find a lost ring on Ocean Isle Beach NC Tag | The Ring Finders

Man’s Platinum Wedding Band Lost in the Sand – Found and Returned Kure (Cure-y) Beach NC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

Right around 12:30 pm on Friday, August 18th, 2023, I got a call from Adib, saying he had lost his Platinum Wedding Band in the sand. He asked me if I had any advice on how to find it. There really isn’t any, other than getting down on your hands and knees and try sifting through the sand. I’ve had a couple of situations where the individuals tried finding it themselves and ended up moving the item feet from where it was dropped. I asked Adib not to dig, if he was, because he could either move it or bury it. He was also concerned with my travel time and didn’t want to see me drive over 3 hours round trip. I assured him that’s what I do when somebody loses something, and I didn’t have a problem with it. I grabbed my Equinox 800 and started my trip.

When I got there, I met Adib at his rental and we walked out to the beach. As we walked, I found out that he was there from San Francisco, CA. attending one of his buddy’s bachelor party. He said that he had taken his ring off and put it in his lap to apply suntan lotion. At some point, the ring ended up disappearing in the dry sand. He also said that he and his friends had been searching for the ring and when I told him not to dig, they stopped. Everybody had pretty much left the chairs and other items sit where they were so the area was well marked. Once I got a visual on the search area, we moved the chairs, and I started a small grid search in maybe a 10X10 ft square. After just one grid line, I got a strong 15 on the VDI (visual display indicator). The problems I had were the target was reading 8-10 inches deep on the depth meter, which was deep for only being lost for 3 hours. Secondly for a platinum ring, I was expecting a lower number in the teens. So I honestly thought that target was trash. I did take a couple of scoops but left the hole and continued the grid. After finishing the search area with no other targets, I went back to the hole. I took another couple of scoops and had the target out of the hole. I ran the coil over the clump of sand, found the target and scooped it up. I gently shook out the excess sand, and then I heard the sweet sound of metal rattling in the scoop. Looked in the scoop, saw the ring and held the scoop out for Adib to pull his ring out. Adib was thrilled he had his ring back. He ended up taking a selfie of him and I with him holding his ring up to send to his wife. This never gets old!

Adib – thank you for letting me help find your lost treasure.

Jim

   

Sentimental Sterling Silver Ring with Green Emerald Lost in the Ocean, Found and Returned Ocean Isle Beach NC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

I got a call from Nancy saying she had lost a very special ring with a green emerald stone in the ocean. She said the emerald had belonged to her grandmother and had been passed down to her. She also stated that she had lost it about 30 minutes prior and she was right at the water line. I knew this was a race against the incoming tide; I got a few more details and told her I’d be there in about 45 minutes.

When I got there, I met Nancy on the beach and she showed me the area. It was maybe 10 feet across and as far out as I could take it. Unfortunately the sea breeze had kicked up and the ocean was hitting the 2nd breaker with a lot of force. I started a grid search going north and south perpendicular to the beach. After, maybe 5 lines, I called it. Between the waves and the current I was having a rough time keeping my grid lines straight and just getting knocked around. I told Nancy I’d be back around 5, thinking once the tide made its turn at 2 pm I’d have 3 hours with an outgoing tide.

I got back about the time I said and Nancy was waiting. I started my grid search and after an hour and a half and covering the suspected area, I was coming up empty. So, the next step was to extend the area north and south and start over. After another forty-five minutes to an hour, I was working my way back up the middle of the search area towards the high tide line. I got a solid 21-22 on the VDI, which is what I was looking for on a Sterling Silver item. I dug the target out of the hole, spread the sand with my foot and there Nancy’s ring sat. After I found it, I tried to figure out how I missed it the first time. Looking at my grid lines, none of them were straight and all curved to the right. There is no other explanation, other than I missed it the first go through. I took a picture and sent it and a text to Nancy saying “BOOM.” She called me a short time later, not believing it was found. I dropped it off at her house on my way home. She was extremely happy and thankful that she got both her ring and her grandmother’s emerald back.

Nancy – thank you for allowing me to help find your precious and sentimental treasure.

Jim

   

Man’s Tungsten Wedding Band Lost Playing Football, Found and Returned North Myrtle Beach, SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

Got a call from Zach asking if I could help find a lost ring? I got the details of when, where and how.  I grabbed my Equinox 800 and hit the road. He sent me the address for 14th Ave North, and for whatever reason I went to 14th Ave South. After realizing my error, I turned around and headed north. I called Zach and told him I’d be there in about 8 minutes. Zach told me his friend was waiting near the beach entrance to bring me out on the beach. When I got close, I saw a young man standing on the corner. I pulled over and ask if he was the guy waiting on me, he was. As we walked out on the beach he told me his name was Sean and he was the one who lost the ring. I asked him to tell me what happen. He said they were here for a bachelor party and had been throwing a football around. He said he dived to catch the ball and his hands went in the sand. He also said he didn’t realize his ring was gone until a little later.

As we arrived at the group of guys enjoying the beautiful day, I introduced myself. Sean showed me an area that had stakes at each corner, maybe 20×20 ft. I asked him where he thought he made the dive to catch the ball and he responded about in the middle. I asked what kind of ring and he replied Tungsten. So I knew I was looking for a VDI (visual display indicator) around 16. I turned my machine on, looked at Sean and said “How bout we get that ring back on your finger in less than a minute.” Sean just looked at me. I started at the middle end line, took about 10 steps and got the 16 I was looking for. I took a scoop of sand, shook out the scoop and saw a Tungsten ring in the bottom. I walked back towards Sean and asked him what his ring looked like. He described it to a T! He then made the comment, “that was less than a minute.” Sean was a very happy and thankful young man.

Zach – Thanks for calling me to help find Sean’s ring.

Sean – Thank you for trusting me to help find your lost treasure.

Jim

 

Man’s Platinum Wedding Band Lost, Found, and Returned White Lake, NC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

Shortly after starting the lawn mower to get the grass cut, I got a call from William asking if I could help find his lost wedding band. I asked the normal questions and learned he had lost the ring the day before in White Lake. I don’t scuba dive, but have a son-in-law that’s helped me before and does, so I asked him how deep. He explained that he was sitting on the pier/boat dock fiddling with his ring when his son jumped on him. That action sent the ring flying, hitting the dock and disappearing into the water. He told me the water around the dock was about two feet deep, and the clearance under the dock was about an 8-10 inches. I asked a few more questions and asked him to send me the address. I plugged the address in my phone and told him I’d be there about 1 pm (just about an hour and a half drive). I grabbed my detector and headed out.

When I arrived at his house, he was outside waiting and we drove down to the dock. Conditions were as near perfect as they could be, with the exception of the water being a little cold. I made my way out in the water and along the side of the pier. When I got to the suspected area, I started swinging my detector. Being a Man’s Platinum wedding band, I was expecting a 12 on the machine’s VDI (visual display indicator). My first target rang up as an 18, so I made another swing and hit a solid 12. Bingo! I used my beach sand scoop and pulled his ring out of the sandy bottom. I laid the scoop on the dock and asked if it that was his ring inside. When his face lit up, I knew we had it. The responses from returning a lost ring are priceless!

William – Thank you for trusting me and The Ring Finders to help find your lost treasure.

Jim

     

A Little Tiff Sends Her White Gold Engagement Ring Over the Fence, Found and Returned Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

I got a call from Jed on Dec 20th asking if I could help find a lost engagement ring in a field. I asked him for details on how the ring was lost, when it was lost, and if the field had bushes and trees on it. He explained that him and his girlfriend, Benjetta had gotten in a little spat about 3 ½ weeks ago and the ring was tossed. Jed said the field had heavy undergrowth and that he had been in the field cutting down a lot of the growth. He also stated that he had looked for the ring himself with a Garrett 250 Metal Detector with no luck. Since this was in Myrtle Beach, I needed to call Matt Fye, TRF for Myrtle Beach. When I called Matt, he said he was extremely busy and to go ahead and take the call. I was up for an adventure since I hadn’t had a ring call for a while. I called Jed back and we agreed on meeting at 10 am the next morning.

We met the next morning and had to drive around the block to get to the field. Jed had done a good job clearing the undergrowth out in about a 10 x 10-foot square directly behind the projected ring flight. I asked Jed what metal the ring was, white gold, silver or something else. He wasn’t sure but ended up saying silver. I turned on my Equinox 800 and started searching. Not sure what metal I was really looking for, I cleared all the targets that I found. There was a lot of trash, pull tabs, bottle caps, cans, etc. I also had to contend with a metal fence that was about 10 inches behind their wooden fence. I tried to squeeze both the Equinox and my Gold Bug with a 5-inch coil between the fences, but the metal fence played havoc on both machines. There was a chance the ring could have ended up between the fences and settled in all the leaves that had accumulated in that space. While I was searching the area, I got to meet Benjetta when she stuck her head above the fence.  She filled in a few more details about the ring toss. During the spat Benjetta couldn’t toss the ring herself, so she asked a girlfriend to do it. Her girlfriend accepted the challenge, stepped out the back door and hurled it over their wooden fence. That added a little more to the story. I assured both Benjetta and Jed this kind of loss happens more than you’d think. They weren’t the first nor would they be the last to get angry and throw a ring or two. After a little over 2 hours of searching with no luck, I called it a day. I had intentions of returning but didn’t commit myself with Jed, as he was going on vacation the next evening.

That evening, I was trying to think of something to help me clear the area between the fences. I came up with the idea of using my shop-vac and sucking up the leaves and hopefully the ring, if it was there. I text Jed and told him my plan and that I’d be back out there at about 1 pm the next day. He said he wasn’t going to be able to be there and I told him it’d be fine, and I’d keep him posted.

I showed up and stopped by Benjetta’s house to plug in an extension cord and throw the other end over the fence. Pulled into park in the field and went to work. The shop-vac was working as planned, took a little longer because the leaves were soaked after a heavy rain. Cleared out and checked the piles of leaves for the ring and nothing! The day before, I had ventured out in both directions, from the suspected area with no results. So, today I planned on getting in the thick of things, literally. It took about 15 minutes, and I was under some heavy low hanging branches and got an iffy signal. I ended up moving a 4-inch diameter 8-foot tree branch lying on the ground. Swung my detector over the area and got a solid white gold signal of 8 on the VDI (visual display indicator). I carefully cleared the wet leaves and there was the size 6 ½ engagement ring staring up at me.  I took a couple of pictures and sent it to Jed. He had told me earlier not to tell Benjetta if I found it so he could surprise her. He was really surprised the ring was found. I packed up and drove back to Benjetta’s house to get the extension cord. She saw me and came out to see if I had found it. I felt horrible standing there lying to her and telling her I’d be back to look again. Jed had text me his address and I dropped the ring off to him on my way home.  He had a big smile on his face when I handed him the ring.

Jed – Thanks for giving me a call and I’m thrilled I could help find your lost treasure.

Benjetta – I’m so happy you’re getting your ring back and I’m so sorry I lied to you, but I didn’t want to steal Jed’s moment (again)!

Jim

   

10 Day Old Wedding Band Lost in the Dry Sand, Found and Returned Sunset Beach NC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

A little after 2 p.m. on Sept 21st, I received a call from Cassandra saying her son, Conor, had lost his wedding band and wanted to know if I could help. First question I asked was how long ago, her response was “just now.” My second question was where he lost it, she responded in the “dry sand and he knows right where he lost it.” I asked about parking and she told me I could park in their driveway and she’d text me the address. She also told me that they were under a cabana at the end of the beach access ramp. These are the responses every Ring Finder loves to hear. I told Cassandra I could be there in 30 minutes, grabbed my gear and was on my way.

When I got there everyone was under the cabana. I met Cassandra, Conor and Christina, the new bride. Conor showed me the 3’X3’ area where he had applied suntan lotion to his chest and the ring flew off. I turned my Equinox 800 on, made the offhand comment of “let’s try and find this in under a minute,” took 2 steps and hit a solid26 on the machine. I asked Conor what his ring was made of and he said “white and yellow gold and stainless steel.” I took a scoop of sand and missed the target; my second scoop had the target. I shook the sand out and saw his ring. I extended the scoop out to him so he could retrieve his treasure. Christina said “that was less than 30 seconds.” Conor’s response was “I thought under a minute was a bold prediction.”  Everything was perfect and made this an easy recovery, he just lost it in the dry sand and he knew the precise area. A little more chit chat and Christina mentioned they’d only been married for 10 days.

Cassandra – Thank you for contacting and trusting me to help find Conor’s wedding band.

Conor and Christina – I wish you all the best in your new lives together!

Jim

   

Man’s Yellow Gold Wedding Band Lost in the Sand, Found and Returned Ocean Isle, NC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

This ring search started with a phone call from Brock saying he lost his wedding band in the sand on Ocean Isle Beach. He wanted to know if I could help find it. I told him I could be there in 30 minutes. Since it was Sunday, I knew the beach would be crowded with no place to park. I asked him if I could park in his driveway, and he responded yes. I then asked him to text me the address and I was on my way.

When I got to his house, I called him, and he came out to meet me. We walked down to the beach, and he showed me the area where he lost his ring. He had been playing Spikeball and when he reached for the ball, he felt his ring fly off his finger. This is one of those searches you dream about. I turned my Deus II on, literally took 2 steps and got a loud and clear 70 on the VDI (visual display indicator). I took a small scoop of sand, had the target in the scoop and shook the excess sand out and saw his gold ring. I held out the scoop for Brock to retrieve his ring. It took him a couple of seconds to see it amongst some shells but when he did see it, his face lit up.

Brock and Payton – Thank you for trusting me and The Ring Finders to help find your lost treasure. Enjoy the rest of your vacation.

Jim

 

Wedding and Engagement Rings Lost in the Dry Sand, Found and Returned Carolina Beach NC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

This ring search started off as a missed call shortly before 3:30 pm on Saturday, Jun 11th. I called back and spoke to Daniel, who wanted to know if I was the Ring Finder who could help him find his wife Kat’s Wedding and Engagement rings. I acknowledged yes and he asked what information I needed from him. I told him I needed the area and whether the rings were lost in the water or dry sand. He said dry sand, and then I asked him if there was a chance the area would be covered in water with the incoming tide. He responded no that they had set up far enough up the beach that the tide wouldn’t be an issue. Then he asked if he needed to be there. I told him yes and that putting me in the right spot raised the percentage of me finding the rings. He then asked the cost and I told him that I do this on a reward or gratuity basis. He was fine with everything, so I told him to send me an address and I’d let him know an ETA. Once he sent the address and I plugged it in the GPS, my ETA was an hour and a half later.

Once I got there, parking became an issue. Finally parked and then stood there with another couple trying to figure out how the pay to park worked. It wasn’t an easy thing, especially when the kiosk wouldn’t recognize the couple’s debit card. That’s about the time Kat called me to let me know they were there. They took care of my parking and then we headed to the beach. Kat walked ahead to find the spot, while I got my equipment. Once in the area, Daniel pointed out the 4 holes their tent made when they set it up. I asked Kat what the rings were made of and she stated White Gold, one engagement ring and the other was the wedding ring. So I knew I was looking for low numbers on the Equinox screen’s for the VDIs. I started a grid search at the back holes. If you ever notice, when people are sitting under tents on the beach, all their stuff is towards the back. In this case, Kat had taken off her rings and put them in her short’s pocket so she could apply suntan lotion and laid the shorts towards the back of the tent. She and Daniel enjoyed the day, and when they got ready to leave she put her shorts back on, packed everything up and left the beach. At some point after leaving the beach, she remembered the rings were in her pocket or so she thought. When she checked her pockets – no rings! Sometime after that is when Daniel did a Google search about finding a lost ring and one of my blogs popped up. So, I’m doing my grid search and on the 3rd line I got a 5 on the VDI. I was fairly certain this was one of her rings, knowing it wouldn’t be deep: I was being extremely careful and couldn’t get the target in the scoop. Finally on my 3rd try I had her engagement ring. I reached in the scoop, pulled it out and held it up for her. She got excited! I figured if one was there, the other one wouldn’t be too far away. Swung my coil and hit a 7 on the VDI, Boom!! I had her wedding band. She was so thankful she had both rings back. I got a big hug from Kat and a firm handshake and thank you from Daniel. I really love being a part of The Ring Finders, there’s no greater feeling than handing back a treasure that they thought was lost forever.

Kat/Daniel – Thank you so much for trusting me and The Ring Finders to help find your lost treasure. Enjoy the rest of your vacation and have a safe trip home.

Jim

   

Man’s Platinum Wedding Band Lost during Wheelbarrow Races – Found and Returned North Myrtle Beach SC

  • from North Myrtle Beach (South Carolina, United States)

Eric called me about 12:30 pm on Friday, Jun 6th, asking if I was The Ring Finder. He said his friend, TJ, had lost his wedding band and wanted to know if I could help find it. I answered in the affirmative and he asked what I charged. I told him I do this on a reward or gratuity bases and whatever was good with him was good with me. I heard him tell TJ and then Eric told me okay. I asked him where they were and was the ring lost in the dry sand or water. He said dry sand and gave me the location. Eric also said that they were there with a group for a bachelor’s party. They had about a 10 ft diameter circle around the area with a blue plastic bat sticking up in the middle of the circle.  I told him I had to run home and get my equipment and that I’d be there at 1 pm.

When I got to the location, there was no parking spots open so I called Eric saying I was there and just trying to find a place to park. After a couple loops around the lot a spot opened up. As I walked out on the beach, it was packed with people. I called Eric and told him I was on the beach and asked which way – right or left. I told him I was headed that way and was holding my detector up in the air. After making my way thru the crowd to the first row of sunbathers, I saw one of the guys running my way waving his arm. Right behind him was TJ. I asked TJ how he lost his ring. He said they were having wheelbarrow races and he felt his ring come off in the sand. I followed them over to meet the rest of the group and then to the circle and blue bat. Knowing the ring was platinum; I knew I was looking for a VDI right around 12 on the screen of the Equinox 800. I turned my machine on, split the circle in half and walked 3 or 4 steps across. Turned around and took 3 steps back and got the 12 on the screen I was looking for. I looked up at TJ and gave him a little smile; the rest of the group saw me and broke out with laughter. One small scoop of sand and I had his ring in the scoop. As I shook the sand out, I asked him if he could hear the clang. I didn’t even look in the scoop; I just held it up for TJ to retrieve his treasure. Total search time was maybe 10-15 seconds. Cheers were loud; including coming from a number of sunbathers who knew what was going on.

Eric – Thanks for contacting me!

TJ – Thanks for trusting me and The Ring Finders to help find your lost treasure.

Jim