Caught in the Storm

August 10, 2025

The weekend of August 8, 9, 10, 2025 saw record flooding in Southeastern Wisconsin.

“The Kinnickinnic, Milwaukee, Menominee and Root rivers all hit record highs over the weekend, with the Milwaukee River going more than 4-feet over flood level.” (PBS News)

  I was camping in the Wisconsin Dells with my ten-year-old daughter and although under a flood watch, my first-world problems consisted only of a leaky tent and a restless night’s sleep.  

Down in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, Brian and his family were caught in a fast approaching storm on Geneva Lake.  Spotting a stranger’s open boat shelter, he took refuge, keeping his family safe (including his infant grandchild) and waited out the storm.  Once the storm cleared, he navigated to the municipal pier and docked.  Crisis averted… that is until his son, Mike, who was tying the boat to the pier piling, experienced that stomach-turning feeling of his wedding ring slipping off into the murky lake.  

Despite being known for clear, clean water, Geneva Lake was a murky mess after the storm. The seaweed, having grown long all summer, further clouded any hopes for a quick dive in to retrieve the ring.

Brian turned to Chat GPT.  It eventually led him to Seth Tost – “Ring Finder and Metal Detector Specialist.”  Among other facts about me, it claimed “has a proven track record recovering lost rings in local beaches and waters.”  It’s important not to believe everything you read in Chat GPT, but I sure did want to maintain the bar AI set for me.

I arrived at 6:15 and after a few questions was in the water.  I popped into the water at 6:22 pm and was photographing the ring at 6:39 pm.  This was by far my fastest recovery and I give a majority of the credit to Brian for pinpointing the location where Mike’s ring decided to go for a swim.    

The ring is a mixture of tantalum and gold.  Tantalum is not a metal I am used to detecting.  It is super resistant to corrosion, so it’s used in surgical implants and electronics.  It holds a charge well and is used in cell phone and computer capacitors.  It’s also used in men’s wedding bands because it’s scratch resistant, durable, and has a gunmetal grey color.

Needless to say, it was a joyous recovery for myself and Brian’s family.  And for now, I’m still doing my part to keep Chat GPT honest.