Jasmine called me early in the morning, explaining she had spent hours searching for a ring lost in the “very muddy, murky part of the water.” She and her fiancé Bella were distraught, fearing it was gone forever. I tried to comfort and reassure her that I could help. The couple was in Beaufort, NC, celebrating a wedding with some friends. After the wedding, they decided to jump into the Beaufort waters for fun.

Later that morning, I learned the ring, that belonged to Bella’s Grandmother, had been lost while swimming near a boat dock, and attempts to find it in the soft, mucky bottom had failed. Concerned about the water’s depth, I asked Jasmine, who said it was 5-6 feet deep but shallower and muddier near the dock. I planned to arrive at noon, timing it with the outgoing tide. Jasmine felt confident the ring came off as she pulled herself out of the water onto the dock, but no one knew where it had ended up.

I began a thorough search, diving into the muddy water with my metal detector. I found no signals near that side of the dock and started wondering if the ring had fallen through the dock boards onto the plastic support floats. Sliding under the dock, I felt around the floats and even used a borrowed phone to photograph areas I couldn’t see or reach—but still no luck. Returning to the water, I doubted the ring could have slipped through the narrow gaps in the boards. We then decided to search the opposite side of the dock.

After just a few steps in knee-deep muck, my headphones picked up a loud signal that even Jasmine heard from the dock. Digging through the black mud, I finally retrieved the ring. Holding it high above my head, I instantly changed the mood of everyone watching joy and relief filled the air!

#beaufortnc #thecrystalcoast #xpfinds #theringfinders