A Father’s Ring Lost in Montecito found by Ventura County Ringfinder
I got a call Sunday evening from Gerrie in Santa Barbara who is a professional dog trainer in the area. She was as distraught as any person I’ve ever talked to about recovering a ring. Up until recently she had been her father’s caregiver because he developed Alzheimer’s and Gerrie was the one who stepped in to care for her dad for the past 12 years. Unfortunately her dad finally passed away at the age of 99 and when he did she inherited his ring. The ring was his 1942 fraternity ring from Penn State University of which he was the president. It’s the only ring he ever had, it also was his wedding ring, and it went with him off to war in the South Pacific during WWII as well. When he passed away Gerrie put the ring on her finger and carried her father along wherever she went. They had an incredible bond in life and the ring was their bond in his passing.
Gerrie wasn’t sure where she had lost it but she had been training a dog at her clients home in Montecito CA and she thought that somehow the ring had slipped off her finger when she was throwing a ball to the dog. They searched the area as best they could and she called me and asked if I would use my metal detector to find her ring. I agreed to meet her at the home on Tuesday morning and when I arrived she gave me the area she was in, we took a moment to pray to ask for God’s favor and I began my search.
There was metal everywhere in the soil. I could hardly isolate any targets due to the sheer volume of metal in the area. I had no choice but to grab my pinpointer and hit the ground and comb my way through the grass. Even this approach was tough due to the pinpointer sounding off on everything. I was moving the pinpointer when I finally got a solo signal in the grass and when I peeled back the grass there sat her Dad’s ring. I was so relieved because this was such an important return that needed to be made. Two days ago she thought she had lost the last physical connection she had to her dad and then today through prayer and a little technology and know how, she got it back. Definitely one of the best recoveries I’ve had the pleasure of making.
Gerrie knew what to do and that was to reach out to an expert in the field of metal detecting rather than renting or buying one herself. Thankfully it was lost at a private residence and she didn’t have to worry about anyone else finding her dad’s ring. If you have lost a ring, bracelet or pendant you need to call or text right away day or night at 805-290-5009 because time, the tides and others with a detector could be against you getting it back.
