Metal detector rental New Haven Connecticut Tag | The Ring Finders

Lost Wedding Band in Snow Taking out Trash | New Haven Connecticut

  • from Stonington (Connecticut, United States)

Nicki and John hurried to the local sporting goods store to purchase a metal detector. Little did they know, moving the trash and recycling bins one winter night would lead to hours of hands-and-knees searching, in the snow, for a lost wedding band. John grabbed the city bin handle and started pulling. The ice and snow from the winter storm had these containers wedged in place. One was breaking loose when John’s cold hands slipped off the handle. He heard something strike the wooden garage door and realized it was his gold wedding band. They spent three hours searching for the ring, including the use of a recently purchased metal detector and rake. Eventually, the couple decided they needed help in their search. Nicki contacted me, and we discussed the details of the lost ring. We knew the ring was there, but it could have bounced in any direction. There was a snow mound next to the garage where the bins were stored. The wedding band could have landed anywhere. There was even the possibility the ring could have flown over the chain-linked fence into the next yard. Nicki could see the only options, either book the search with a professional or wait for the snow to melt and hope the wedding band was not picked up by someone else.

Nicki booked the search and sent clear photos of the area. I arrived, and we walked the driveway recapping that night’s events. We decided to move the trash and recycling containers to open up some detecting areas. John headed indoors for a moment, and I got started with the search. Only minutes after turning on the metal detector, I heard two signals. Both came from where the trash and recycling containers were typically stored. I marked the areas and started recording for the live dig. The display numbers were in the 60s and 70s on my XP Deus metal detector. Gold falls in this number range, so I was hoping one of the signals was the lost wedding band. Uncovering the first target, as you can see in the video, I found a nickel. I brushed the snow away from the second item, and only an inch or two under the top layer of snow, I saw gold. The wedding band was barely covered and must have been protected by the recycling container. Once Nicki and John returned the bins after pick-up, the wedding band must have been preserved underneath, in the top layer of snow, until today.

I coordinated with Nikki for the surprise reveal of the ring. Once John came back out, I asked a couple of questions, and in the middle of his response, I revealed the ring to him and asked, “Is that it?” He was trying to focus on the item I was holding. When he realized I was holding his wedding band, the excitement set in, and I could hear the shudder in his voice. His reply was, “Yes, it is. How did you do that?” We laughed and joked about the difficulty of learning a new metal detector in the middle of an emergency ring search. I handed over the cherished wedding band to the happy couple and headed to my next adventure in New York.

How to Find a Lost Ring

Lost ring in the snow? It happens all the time – brushing and scraping ice, throwing snowballs, sleigh riding, taking off gloves, taking out the trash. Suddenly your ring goes flying. Don’t waste your time renting or borrowing a metal detector. Stop and mark the area where you believe the ring was lost. If plowing or shoveling occurs, block off the site to preserve the ring’s location.  My jewelry finding service covers Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and other surrounding states.

If you have a lost ring or something of value, contact Keith Wille now.

Call or text | 860-917-8947

Email | uncoverthings@yahoo.com

Website | www.metaldetectionkeithwille.com

 

Subscribe to My YouTube Channel to See Stories of People Being Reunited with Their Rings:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdhTxkGmNjrxDwEW6prGeOA?sub_confirmation=1

 

Keith Wille’s Media Mentions:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/16/science/archaeology-metal-detectorists-pequot.html?_r=1

http://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/the-lost-jewelry-hunters

https://www.westernmassnews.com/news/metal-detectorist-helps-couple-recover-lost-engagement-ring/article_2dd7841a-7180-11eb-bf9a-8733fdabd5e5.html

http://www.wfsb.com//Clip/12684346/mans-missing-wedding-ring-found-at-waterford-beach#.V7693rpuG4k.email

http://www.theday.com/local/20160823/with-stroke-of-luck-waterford-resident-gets-his-ring-back

http://patch.com/connecticut/waterford/widower-embraces-man-after-finding-treasured-wedding-band-waterford-beach

https://www.thewesterlysun.com/news/surf-gives-back-ring-with-a-little-help/article_4252dcae-7f1c-5d66-8f39-376da5db5929.html

 

 

Lost ring in snow taking out trash

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Found lost ring

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ring lost in snow New Haven CT

Platinum Diamond Ring Lost on Snowy Sidewalk… Found!

  • from Stonington (Connecticut, United States)

Bilal crossed over a snowbank to get to his car and lost his footing. He slipped in the snow, landing on his back, and immediately felt his ring go flying! Bilal frantically searched the city street for his lost ring. His search continued for hours, closely inspecting the snow piles, sidewalk, and roadway. It was late at night, and Bilal was feeling defeated in his efforts. Bilal’s wife eventually searched online for “ways to find a ring in the snow.” She found my profile and saw all the rings I found over the past couple of years.

When I woke up the next morning, I saw the late-night missed calls and text messages from Bilal. Before I even read the text messages, I knew what happened. This had to be a painful loss for a call to come in that late. I finished reading the text messages and responded quickly. I explained that I had two other searches scheduled that day, and I had no idea how long they would take. One of my appointments was on the other side of Connecticut near the New York border, so I knew it would be tough to complete the third job. Bilal was willing to hire me, and I was determined to make it work, so we booked the appointment with a tentative timeframe.

Bilal’s level of commitment was unreal. He arrived in New Haven and guarded the area from noon until I arrived later that day at 5:30 PM. That is dedication! When I got out of my car, I noticed the parking spot from his photos was empty. It was too good to be true – a city street parking spot open at dinnertime? I hurriedly walked over and turned on my metal detector. As soon as I went to take my first scan, a car pulled into the spot. Over the next thirty minutes, multiple cars tried to park in the place where Bilal fell. He very politely explained what happened and asked the drivers if they could park in another spot. The drivers expressed their sympathy and happily parked elsewhere.

I started by scanned the top layer of the snow all around where Bilal fell. The mound was deep from shoveling and plowing. People were also climbing over the top of the snow. To scan the deep footprints, I had to angle my metal detector down and poke my coil into each impression just to get to the bottom of the shin-deep holes. The metal rebar in the sidewalk was causing a lot of interference with my equipment, so I knew the power settings had to be lowered. A side effect of low power is reduced detection depth into the snow. The ring was not detected on my initial pass, so it was time to use a different tactic. Bilal borrowed a larger shovel than the one I had in my car, and he started relocating snow from the sidewalk and piling it in the street. Bilal shoveled, and I scanned every scoop as it hit the asphalt. We heard a signal after the first three scoops. Stop! I yelled, so we could examine the noise.

I spread the snow with my foot and honed in on the target. We quickly realized the metal signal was coming through the snow from under the street. Bummer. We continued the process and started to make a dent in the snowbank. Admittedly, I was getting nervous. If the ring flew further than we initially thought and was lying in plain sight on the cleared part of the sidewalk, someone could have easily picked it up. Another 10 to 15 minutes went by, and Bilal had moved enough snow to cover an entire parking spot. He threw me another scoop, and I heard a second signal. I yelled, hold on! Figuring it was another metal spot in the road, I swiped the top layer of snow off to pinpoint the pesky thing. Before I could bring my coil down to the asphalt, the platinum jumped out at me. We were both in shock. I picked up the ring and handed it to Bilal. Both of us were speechless, so we hugged it out in the street for a minute.

The platinum ring was found almost a foot into the snowbank. Without significant plowing or a fresh layer of snow, it did not seem possible for the ring to be that deep. Bilal mentioned that the snow melted during the day, so here is my best guess at what happened during the 21 hours the ring was lost. When Bilal fell, the ring flew off and stuck itself just deep enough in the soft snow that he could not see it. The warmer temperatures of the next day caused the snow to partially melt and turn slushy. During this change, the ring sunk further down. As the temperatures dropped towards sundown, the slush began to harden and encapsulated the ring deeper than where it was initially deposited the night before. There you have it, mystery solved!

From Bilal:

“I got married in April 2020 during Covid. My wedding reception was canceled; however, we decided to have a small wedding with immediate family members. My wife bought me a wedding band that I always loved. It has diamonds around it, and it’s something that I cherish dearly. I fell, and my ring flew off into a pile of snow. Once Keith found the ring, I couldn’t explain how I felt. It was the most amazing feeling, relief, and excitement. I was so anxious during the search, but after talking to Keith, he gave me reassurance.”

How to Find a Lost Ring

Lost ring in the snow? It happens all the time – brushing and scraping ice, throwing snowballs, sleigh riding, taking off gloves. Suddenly your ring goes flying. Don’t waste your time renting a metal detector. Stop and mark the area where you believe the ring is lost. If plowing or shoveling occurs, block off the site to preserve the ring’s location.  My jewelry finding service covers Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and other surrounding states.

If you have a lost ring or something of value, contact Keith Wille now.

Call or text | 860-917-8947

Email | uncoverthings@yahoo.com

Website | www.metaldetectionkeithwille.com

 

Subscribe to My Channel to See More YouTube Videos Like This https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdhTxkGmNjrxDwEW6prGeOA?sub_confirmation=1

 

Keith Wille’s Media Mentions:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/16/science/archaeology-metal-detectorists-pequot.html?_r=1

http://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/the-lost-jewelry-hunters

http://www.wfsb.com//Clip/12684346/mans-missing-wedding-ring-found-at-waterford-beach#.V7693rpuG4k.email

http://www.theday.com/local/20160823/with-stroke-of-luck-waterford-resident-gets-his-ring-back

http://patch.com/connecticut/waterford/widower-embraces-man-after-finding-treasured-wedding-band-waterford-beach

https://www.thewesterlysun.com/news/surf-gives-back-ring-with-a-little-help/article_4252dcae-7f1c-5d66-8f39-376da5db5929.html