#lostandfound Tag | The Ring Finders

RingFinder- Farmington, CT- Recovered Women’s 18k Gold and Diamond Engagement Ring

  • from Farmington (Connecticut, United States)
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THE CONE, THE CATCH, AND THE RING THAT NEARLY VANISHED.
It started with a text earlier this week. A woman had lost her 18k gold and diamond engagement ring — not at the beach, not at a lake, but in her own backyard. In a way that nobody could have predicted.
I arrived early Sunday morning to meet the family and get the full story. Here’s what happened.
She had set her engagement ring — along with three other rings — on top of a plastic pylon while she and her husband played catch in the yard. A completely reasonable thing to do. What happened next was not: her husband, not knowing the rings were perched on top of the cone, casually tossed it aside. The rings scattered into the grass.
They searched immediately. Then kept searching. They even went out and bought a metal detector from a local hardware store, determined to find it themselves. While they were able to recover 3 of the 4 rings, the most treasured engagement ring remained elusive. The grass held its secret. That’s when she reached out to me.
I got to work. Grid after grid, back and forth across the lawn. The detector chattered with targets — every one demanding attention, every one needing to be ruled out before moving on. Time passed. Hope, I’ll admit, was getting thin.
And then — bang.
There it was. A beautiful 18k gold engagement ring, glinting back at me through the cut grass like it had been there all along, waiting for the right person to come along and look in exactly the right way.
I looked up at the wife’s face when I handed it back.
That smile. That’s why I do this.
If you’ve lost jewelry — in your yard, at the beach, at a lake, anywhere in Hartford County — don’t give up and don’t assume it’s gone. Give me a call.
Manticore- General Settings- VDI 17
► Serving all of Hartford County, CT
► Beaches, parks, lakes, yards & more
► Underwater searches up to 20 feet deep
► 10+ years experience
► $30 flat fee to search · Pay what you can if found
#LostAndFound #MetalDetecting #HartfordCounty #FarmingtonCT #EngagementRing #PayWhatYouCan #ConnecticutFinds
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RingFinder- Farmington, CT- Recovered Men’s Platinum Wedding Band

  • from Farmington (Connecticut, United States)
Contact:

WHERE YOU THINK IT IS, ISN’T ALWAYS WHERE IT’S AT.

Earlier this week, I got the text. A wife, clearly shaken, explained what had happened: her husband had been out back playing catch with their dog when his platinum wedding band — diamonds and all — slipped off his finger somewhere in the yard. They searched. Then searched again. They even borrowed a metal detector from the local library, determined not to give up.

But the ring stayed hidden.

That’s when she texted me.

I showed up early Saturday morning. She had done everything right. She gave me a precise description of the general area where she thought it had gone down. And in a move that genuinely touched me — they hadn’t mowed that section of the lawn. Not a single pass. They were afraid the mower might damage the ring. That kind of care tells you everything about what this ring meant to them.

I started with horizontal grid lines, working the area methodically. Out here, patience isn’t optional — it’s the whole game. My pinpointer lit up again and again. Nails, coins, bits of old wire. Every target gets checked. Every one.

I finished my first grid and hadn’t found it. That moment always tests you. Do you second-guess the search area? Start over? I decided to push forward — and just before I was about to run the grid a second time, I expanded my search boundary slightly. Just a few feet beyond where I’d been working.

Bang.

There it was. A gorgeous platinum and diamond wedding band, sitting in the dirt like it had been waiting for me.

I can’t fully describe the feeling of that moment — pulling something like that out of the ground, knowing what it means to the people waiting inside. That’s the whole reason I do this. Not the hunt, not the gear, not the history in the ground. It’s the look on someone’s face when you hand them back a piece of their life.

If you’ve lost jewelry — in your yard, at the beach, in a lake, anywhere in Hartford County — don’t give up. Give me a call.

 

 

Manticore- General Settings- 50 VDI

► Serving all of Hartford County, CT
► Beaches, parks, lakes, yards & more
► Underwater searches up to 20 feet deep
► 10+ years experience
► $30 flat fee to search · Pay what you can if found

#LostAndFound #MetalDetecting #HartfordCounty #FarmingtonCT #WeddingRing #PayWhatYouCan #ConnecticutFinds

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Lost Ring In The Yard After Craft Project

  • from Knoxville (Tennessee, United States)
Contact:

Sometimes a lost ring story starts during the most normal, everyday moments at home.
Daniela had been spending some time with her child working on a clay project at the kitchen table. To keep her rings from getting messy with clay, she took them off and placed them on the tablecloth while they worked.
When the project was finished, Daniela gathered everything up and carried the tablecloth outside to shake off the clay crumbs. In the process, she completely forgot that her rings were still sitting on the cloth. With a quick shake of the tablecloth, the rings were unknowingly flung out into the yard.
A little while later, Daniella realized her rings were missing. After retracing her steps, she remembered that they had been sitting on the tablecloth when she shook it out in the yard. The search began right away.
She was able to find one of the rings in the grass, which confirmed what had happened. Unfortunately, the second ring was nowhere to be found. Knowing it had to be somewhere in the yard but not having any luck locating it, Daniela’s husband jumped on the internet looking for help. That’s when he came across my information and reached out right away.
I arrived shortly after and began a careful grid search of the area where the tablecloth had been shaken out. When rings are flung like that, they can travel farther than people expect, so a slow and methodical search is always the best approach.
Before long, my metal detector gave a solid signal in the grass. Just beneath the surface was the missing ring. After a quick recovery, Daniela’s second ring was safely back where it belonged.
What started as a fun craft project with her child turned into a stressful situation, but thankfully it ended with a successful recovery and a very relieved family.
These kinds of losses happen more often than people think. Taking rings off for just a moment during everyday activities can easily lead to them being misplaced or accidentally thrown somewhere. The good news is that with the right equipment and search techniques, many of these rings can still be found.
Another great recovery and another happy ending.
Phillip Mendez
Proud Member of The Ring Finders

Equinox 900 TID 33

#RingFinders
#LostRingRecovery
#MetalDetecting
#RingFound
#BackyardRecovery
#LostRingFound
#MetalDetectorRecovery
#TheRingFinders
#HappyEnding
#RingSearchSuccess

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Lost for 10 months – A Wedding Ring Recovery for Dusty in Jefferson County

  • from Knoxville (Tennessee, United States)
Contact:

I received a call from a lady named Dusty who had lost her wedding ring in her backyard about ten months ago. As you can imagine, after that much time had passed she had nearly given up hope of ever seeing it again. The ring meant a lot to her, and she had searched for it several times herself but just couldn’t locate it.
Dusty explained that she believed the ring slipped off while she was working outside in the backyard. She had looked over the area many times, but as most people quickly discover, a small gold ring can disappear instantly in grass and soil.
As I often tell people, time is usually of the essence when a ring is lost, but it’s never too late to look. Rings can sit hidden in the ground for months or even years waiting for the right metal detector to pass over them.
After searching online for help, Dusty came across The Ring Finders and my page, Phillip Mendez – Ring Finder, and decided to reach out.
When I arrived at her home, we walked through the backyard and talked about the day the ring went missing. Reconstructing the moment someone lost their ring can make a huge difference in narrowing down the search area. Once we identified the most likely spot, I began a careful grid search with my metal detector.
Before long, I heard a solid signal in the grass. After pinpointing the target and gently moving aside the grass and soil, there it was — Dusty’s wedding ring, sitting just below the surface after ten long months.
When I showed her the ring, the relief and excitement on her face made the entire search worthwhile. Something she thought was gone forever was suddenly back where it belonged.
Recoveries like this are exactly why I love doing what I do. To many people it’s just a piece of metal, but to the person who lost it, it represents memories and a lifetime of meaning.
Another successful recovery and a very happy ending.

If you’ve lost a ring in your yard, park, or shallow water, don’t give up hope. Even if it’s been months, it may still be right where it was.
—
Phillip Mendez

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Girls Weekend at Norris Lake

  • from Knoxville (Tennessee, United States)
Contact:

Sometimes a fun weekend can turn stressful in the blink of an eye—but with the right tools and a little persistence, a happy ending is still possible.
I received a message from Annie, who had been searching the internet trying to help her friend Kelly recover a lost ring. Kelly and a group of friends were enjoying a girls’ weekend at a lake house. They were all hanging out on the upper deck, laughing and having a great time.
At one point Kelly threw her hands up in excitement—and that’s when disaster struck.
All three of her rings flew off her fingers.
Two of the rings landed safely on the deck, but the third ring completely disappeared. After retracing what happened, they realized the ring had fallen roughly 70 feet from the upper deck down to the concrete below. The group believed it may have bounced and landed somewhere in the leaves surrounding the area.
That’s when Annie reached out to me.
When I got the call, I knew time was critical. I only had about an hour and a half before sunset, and the lake house was about a 45-minute drive away. As any metal detectorist knows, daylight can make all the difference during a search like this—especially when leaves and debris are involved.
I loaded up my gear and headed out as quickly as possible.
When I arrived, Kelly showed me where she had been sitting on the upper deck when the rings flew off. After surveying the area below, it was clear that the ring could have bounced anywhere among the leaves and debris near the concrete.
I fired up my detector and began a careful grid search of the suspected landing zone.
About 30 minutes into the search, I got the signal I was hoping for. Just under a layer of leaves near the concrete, my detector locked onto a solid target.
A quick sweep of the leaves—and there it was.
Kelly’s missing ring.
The relief and excitement from the group was immediate. What started as a stressful moment during their girls’ weekend ended with smiles, laughter, and a recovered ring.
It’s always rewarding to help turn a lost moment into a found memory.
Another successful recovery—and another reminder that it’s never too late to search for something that matters.
Phillip Mendez
Proud Member of The Ring Finders

Equinox 900 TID 25

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Lost Pendant Found Bay Beach – Fort Erie Ontario

  • from Toronto (Ontario, Canada)
Contact:

We were at Bay Beach finishing up a few recovery services when a group of young men approached us. They looked worried, and one of them stepped forward to explain what had happened. While they had been wrestling around in the shallow water, his necklace had suddenly snapped and disappeared beneath the waves. This wasn’t just any necklace. It had belonged to his late father, and the pendant was something he carried with him every day as a reminder of him. Losing it hit him hard, and you could see the panic in his eyes as he talked.

He pointed out the stretch of water where it happened. Even though it was shallow, the waves constantly shifted the sand, making it easy for something small and precious to vanish instantly. We grabbed our gear and stepped into the water, determined to help.

The search began slowly and carefully. The detector hummed as we swept back and forth, inching along the bottom. The young men stood watching from the shoreline, their excitement replaced with quiet worry. It was clear how much this necklace meant to their friend. Every time the detector signaled, everyone leaned forward, hoping it would be the right one. Most of the signals turned out to be bottle caps, small bits of metal and lake debris.

After several minutes of searching, the detector gave a sharp, solid tone. We fanned the sand and the pendant was right in front of us.. The moment we held it up, the mood changed instantly.

The young man’s face lit up with pure relief. He rushed over, thanking us again and again. His friends cheered, clapping him on the back and laughing with that kind of happiness that only comes from getting something truly important back. It felt like the whole beach shared the moment for a second.

Seeing how much that necklace meant to him made the recovery feel incredibly rewarding. Bay Beach gave us another unforgettable memory that day, and we left knowing we had helped return not just an item, but a piece of someone’s heart.

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Washed Away the Soap and the Sparkle

  • from Kilgore (Texas, United States)
Contact:

On Saturday Tori decided her German Shepherd needed a bath. As she finished she noticed her wedding rings were gone. She immediately started backtracking. Did it come off while using the hose or the blower drying her dog? With no luck finding her rings her husband bought a metal detector on his way home from work. He read the instructions and watched a few YouTube videos. They both search until midnight with no luck. Tori decided to try a search online and came across The Ring Finders website and texted me. Just so happens I was off and with in one hour of receiving her text I was headed to try and find her rings. After arriving we spent a few minutes going over where the washing took place. To our surprise I found her rings in less then fifteen minutes. A day with so much anxiety ended on a high note.

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Wedding ring set found in Horsetooth Reservoir

  • from Denver (Colorado, United States)
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Recently I received a call from Trina asking me to try to locate a ring lost in Horsetooth Reservoir. She and her husband Ben had spent the day hiking around the reservoir and wanted to cool off in the water. She wadded out into the water; the water level drops off quickly so about 10-15 feet from shore and she was already up to her shoulders and cooling off nicely. Even though she could touch bottom easily she had to mover her hands in a treading water motion in order to stay in one place due to waves from the nearby boaters. It wasn’t long when Trina felt her wedding ring (handed down from her great grandmother) slip from her finger. Trina and Ben spent the next several hours trying to find her ring with no success. That night she found my number and contacted me and soon we made arrangements for Stephanie Hobbs and I to come and do a search.
Sunday morning Stephanie and I gathered our gear and began our hour long drive north. Stephanie brought her XP Deus and associated gear, I brought my Minelab Manticore, waterproof headphones, pouch and two water scoops.
Upon arrival at the reservoir, we were VERY fortunate to find a parking spot and pulled in (timing is everything). Trina and Ben met us as we pulled in, they live in Cheyenne, Wyoming so it was no short drive for them either. They took us down to the location of our search site and Trina showed us how deep she was in reservoir.
Stephanie and I spent over two hours in the cold mountain water searching trying to locate the rings.  At one point I needed to get out of the water to prevent hypothermia and warm up on the large rocks that lined the shore. The scoops that I had brought were useless as the area of our search had large flat rocks that left crevasses with a thin layer of mud on the rocks. I tried feeling for the ring with my bare feet and pulled up many rocks (I may have monkey feet), that was unsuccessful. Finally, I decided to detect mark the spot by Stephanie holding my scoop upside down and I would dive under the water and try to feel for the object (hopefully the ring). This was a good idea but not great. Stephanie suggested that we use her MI6 probe since it is waterproof, what a great idea. Eventually we wondered out to deeper water, up to my chin. I heard a great signal (31) with a perfectly round dot on the line of my Manticore. With Stephanie perched on two larger rocks so that she was above water holding the scoop to mark the spot and my detector I started to dive again. After several handfuls of muck, I finally surfaced with the rings in my hand.
Ring Recovered 7/27/2025
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Swiss Visitor’s Ring Recovered at Thornbury Beach Ontario

  • from Toronto (Ontario, Canada)
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It’s always rewarding to help someone turn a stressful moment into a happy memory , especially when it happens in a beautiful place like Thornbury , Ontario.

We recently got a call from a couple visiting all the way from Switzerland. They were staying at a lakefront home, enjoying some well-deserved time by the water. While applying sunscreen at the beach, she had taken off her rings and slipped them into her pocket — but as many of us know, that’s often how these little treasures go missing.

Later, while sitting at the beach, she noticed one of the rings glinting in the sand. Relief quickly turned to panic when she realized there were supposed to be three — and one was still missing.

They searched everywhere but couldn’t find it. That’s when we got the call.

After a three-hour drive to Thornbury, we arrived with our metal detecting gear and got to work. Thankfully, it didn’t take long — within minutes, we located the missing ring buried in the sand, not far from where they had been searching.

The look of relief on their faces made the drive more than worth it. It’s a great reminder that even when something feels lost for good, the right tools and a little experience can bring it back.

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Bracelet Lost Through the Cracks and Found Beneath the Dock Port Dalhousie

  • from Toronto (Ontario, Canada)
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It’s amazing how quickly a special moment can turn stressful — and how quickly a little determination can turn it back around.

A few days ago, I got called to help with a tricky recovery at the marina. A young woman had been walking along the dock when she tripped and fell. Thankfully, she wasn’t hurt — but in the process, her very special bracelet came off her wrist and fell straight through the cracks of the dock, disappearing into the water below.

The bracelet wasn’t just jewelry ,it had sentimental value and a recent gift that couldn’t be replaced .

The conditions weren’t exactly ideal. Poor visibility, tight spaces under the dock, and plenty of weeds made the search feel nearly impossible. But with my metal detector and a lot of patience, I got to work.

After carefully scanning the area and navigating the tangle of weeds and debris, I finally got a good signal. A little digging, a lot of feeling around and there it was. Her bracelet, still intact and ready to be reunited with its owner.

The relief and gratitude on her face made every second worth it.

It’s a reminder that even in tough conditions, with the right tools and a little persistence, some things really can be found again.

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