August 20, 2022
I was called to find a bracelet but as I was searching, I was asked “Had I found the phone? What? No, I was looking for a bracelet. I saw disappointment in the inquisitive face. I could not let it go, I said where was it lost and was it waterproof? Here and yes, it was waterproof. OK, I will search for both.
After about two hours of searching and finding only two beer bottle twist off caps and two pull tabs I was beginning to think there may be something wrong with my detector. No, it was just that the beach was heavily detected, and all good targets had been removed. Then my ears began to ring with a sound like I had just swung the detector’s coil over a large beer can. But I had to scoop carefully just in case it was a precious object. Yes, it was the yellow phone. Mike came over to me and in disbelief said: “It is still working!”
A couple of quick Thank Yous and he was off toward the shoreline. I continued to search for the Bracelet. A few minutes later Mike and his niece Pina came back into the water and thanked me again.
I had no means of taking any information so I asked if they would please text me with the information I needed for this blog. It is so wonderful that I get to see many smiling faces and hear cheers form the beach goers when I get to return a precious item and in this case an item filled with many photo memories, ones that could not be replaced.
Unfortunately, I have not yet found the bracelet that I had initially been called to help find. I had stayed well after dark on Saturday and returned Sunday morning for another two-hour search. I will return mid-week and expand the area of search. It is not time to give up hope, there are other detectorists I will keep in touch with as one might just find the bracelet before I do. Until then I will keep Pina’s smile in my phone and perhaps it will bring a bit of good luck for me to locate the bracelet.
Mike: thanks for not giving up on your family’s and your searching efforts. Had you left without giving me your contact information, I may not have been able to unlock the phone and retrieve information that would have led to Pina. And I would not have a wonderful smile to remind me of her hope to have her phone returned.
August 9, 2022
Seals, sharks and sand were all in their place, but Connor’s new wedding band was not. It had slipped from his ring finger as he rinsed off his hands in the waters of Lighthouse Beach. He and his wife reached out to Luke, another RingFinder, for help in recovering his ring. Luke was unable to leave work, so he called me to help in finding Connor’s ring. I made arrangements with Connor to meet up just before low tide to search for the ring. I had planned to detect a few freshwater beaches as many of the local saltwater beaches were closed to swimming due to the presence of Portuguese Man of War jellyfish. Leighton, who is also a RingFinder, would also join in on the search. It is great working as a team, it also helps in the probability of finding the lost treasure.
The four of us met up for the walk to the area where Connor had spent many previous visits over the past several years. Christina was to stand at the edge of the water where Connor had rinsed his hands. Connor stood high on the sand where he had had been sitting. The area between the newlyweds set up an area for the search as the exact moment of loss was not known. Leighton and I now started the search. First the sand and slope would be searched. Then the water would be last as sharks were known to prowl the area. That is why we saved it for last and would be very aware of anything lurking in the water.
Gridding the dry and wet sand only had one hidden pull tab that was found. We headed onto the steep slope and into the water where the sharks have been seen and the ring was most likely waiting to be found. My first target was the head of a metal fishing lure, all that had not rusted away. The second was the ring. It was looking very shiny and in perfect condition. I left it in the scoop and headed up the beach’s slope to the area Connor and his wife were standing. What a joyful reunion it was seeing the ring replaced onto Connor’s ring finger.
It was now time for the half mile walk back to the parking lot. After the exchange of a few more Thank Yous, other information and picture taking before it was off to dinner and another night of celebration for Connor and Christina. The honeymoon was back on.
Got a call from Mike, his son lost his cross in Lavallette NJ (OB3) while doing lifeguard exercises yesterday morning when the chain it was on broke. I told him to mark the location on his cell phone and I would get back to him later. This cross had great sentimental value as it was given to him by his grandmother a few years back. It will now be back on his chain thanks to their quick phone call, and precise mark of the location. Special thank you for keeping our swimmers safe.
Got a call today from Justin. He was at the beach in Holgate NJ (LBI) with his fiancé, Samantha. After setting up their chairs and umbrella, Sam took off her shorts, placed them with her stuff, and took a walk down by the water. It was then she realized her beautiful platinum engagement ring was gone. She quickly went back and looked in her pocket where she had placed it when applying sun block, back by at the car, before heading to the beach. It was not there and she was devastated. They contacted me, and after a short conversation we decided to do the recovery. I cleared the area of a few bottle caps, then pow!!! the low platinum signal I was looking for. They were amazed I had found it. This one was SUPER special, they are getting married next month, and now have the ring back for the ceremony
Got a call from Susan about her ring she dropped in the sand today in Surf Ci
ty NJ. It had great sentimental value to her, as I could tell after just a short time on the phone. Lucky I was able to arrive promptly, as she had made reservations for later in the afternoon. Kudos to her and her husband for preparing the area it was lost, which made for a quick recovery. A very short time later they were on their way, with her cherished ring back on her finger. So many happy memories doing this.
July 27th, 2022
After a four-hour search for a lost ring, we returned to Leighton’s truck. We listened to a voice message about a lost wedding band. As the loss was on the opposite tide side of Cape Cod, we were on our way, hoping for a better search result; it was not yet time to call it a day. Leighton and I have teamed up for a few reasons: 1) companionship while traveling, 2) it increases the chances to find a lost item, and 3) we can cover twice the area in the time it would take one of us to search it alone.
We met up with Doug. After some fancy parking and a short synopsis of the previous day’s happening Doug led us to the area where he had lost his wedding band while teaching his 3-year-old daughter the thrill of the summertime beach. Feelings of a great beach day got a bit more intense when Doug lost his balance and braced himself with his left hand on the sandy bottom of Nantucket Sound. His daughter stayed high and dry, more than Doug could say about his wedding band. It had slipped from his ring finger and was to stay submerged for a day.
Several searchers using snorkels and goggles were unsuccessful in locating the ring just after it was “lost”. As usual our searching started with a grid search around the area Doug was standing at when he felt the ring slip from his finger. A crisscross search failed in locating the hiding ring. About 40 minutes into the search, I started a diagonal search pattern going well beyond the center of our previous search area. I am glad, as is Doug, that I went some 35 feet closer to the shoreline where I heard an all too familiar tone in my ears. About 10 inches down into the moving sand the wayward ring was in my scoop. It stayed there until Doug came to look into the scoop and identify the ring. Yes, it was his.
After a walk and talk going back to the parking lot, a few pictures, and many Thank You gestures from Doug he was on his way home. Wearing his wedding band and a smile from ear to ear he was anxious to get home and tell his wife the ring had been found and returned to his finger. I may be wrong but I think I heard Doug mention something about letting his wife wait a bit longer for the news so he could show and tell about the find in person.
Leighton and I both felt much better than about 2 hours before. Earlier we had not given up on searching for the other ring we were searching for. We just needed to rethink our search technique, change our detectors and their coil size and return another day to continue the search…We Never Give Up Hope!
On 07/17/22, I was contacted by Victoria who was requesting my help in finding her White Gold Engagement ring that was lost on the beach at Indian River Inlet Delaware on 07/16/22. Victoria said that she took her ring off and placed it on her towel while she was putting sunscreen on her child. Victoria said that her ring fell off of the towel into the sand and that she was not able to find it. Victoria said that she was no longer at the beach and that she was at home in Newark, Delaware. I told Victoria that I would go to the beach later in the day and make an attempt to find her ring. Victoria was able to describe the area of the beach where she had lost the ring and she also provided me with a photo that I was able to use to put myself in the area of the lost ring. Upon arriving at the beach, I began a grid search for the ring with no luck in finding it. I then did another grid search crossing over my first search again with no luck in finding the ring. Two hours into the search I expanded the area of the search and the lost ring was found north of where it had been lost. It is my belief that the ring was moved by the tractor that is used to clean the beach sand. I sent Victoria a photo of her recovered ring and then returned it to her by mail the very next day.
Bay Area Ring Finders Brendon Chapman… Metal Detecting Service/Call ASAP 925-580-2590
A few nights back, I had the opportunity to teach a client a little bit about metal detectors, metal detecting, and even provided this individual with metal detecting equipment while assisting with cleaning up debris from a recently demolished old shed! Although there was not too much to find, I believe the individual really enjoyed their experience as well as the services I was able to provide.
My typical services include searching for your lost valuables (jewelry, cell phone, car keys, etc.), but I can also assist with other tasks such as the one mentioned above. Additionally, If you are interested in the hobby, I can also provide equipment, tools, and entry level instruction for your very own metal detecting adventure! I utilize high end equipment and search techniques to help…MAKE THE RECOVERY!!!
I received a text this past Monday 11th from a wife. She said her husband had lost his wedding band in the backyard about a month ago while cleaning out a pool skimmer trap. She was searching the internet and came across www.theringfinders.com where she found my contact information. I made the trip to Calhoun that afternoon and met up with her. She said her husband was still at work, but should be there pretty soon. She said they had actually purchased a metal detector for themselves, but no luck in finding the ring. When Alfred got home he was showing me how he lost his ring cleaning the skimmer with his left hand and throwing the trash over the chain link fence with an underhand motion. He said he felt the ring leave his hand but didn’t see where it went. With that underhand throwing motion I immediately figured the ring had gone over and into the brushy area behind the fence. I eliminated the grass and the plant bed first of course, but no luck. With the chain link fence there I couldn’t get close to it at all without sending my detector into an overload condition. So that part would have to be searched by hand if I didn’t find the ring back in the brush. I started back behind the fence, (poison ivy there too), as well as a snake, but didn’t get a good look at it, it was leaving the area. I started from the right side and went left directly at the back of the fence. The second pass was from the left back to the right, on a steep slope. Of course I was finding bits of metal trash, we all do. On the third pass from right to left I got to right where I figured the ring could have gone with that underhanded throw. The first thing I found there was a rusted bottle cap, then about three feet away I got two signals on my CTX. A strong 12:40 showing four inches, but literally inches away from that signal was another one, a strong 12:28 showing one inch. I hadn’t seen it yet, but that 12:28 at one inch brought a grin to my face. I stooped over and under my coil I saw a faint hint of something shining back at me. I snapped a picture of it before I moved it, and you can barely catch a glimpse of something out of place under the layer of leaves. The 12:40 signal turned out to be a toy car. The search took about 1.5 hours.
