Lost Ring Block Island, RI… Found!
The ring symbolizes Larit’s 15-year marriage, and he lost it in the ocean during summer vacation. The ring was not lost once, or twice, or three times. The platinum band was lost as early as their first year of marriage but always finds its way back home.
Larit lost his ring while surfing at New Shoreham, aka Block Island, Rhode Island. I arrived on the island and hitched a ride with the local taxi service to Scotch Beach. Joe, the taxi driver, dropped me off at the entrance, and Larit took me straight to the spot where he lost his ring while surfing two days prior. We discussed the search boundaries with a couple of beach-goers who were familiar with the area. This was the same area Larit had a local metal detectorist from the island search on the previous day, but he came up empty-handed. After hearing this news, my determination was at an all-time high. Larit explained this was his first-time surfing, and he was falling off the board repeatedly. He felt the ring slip as he took one of his falls, which is good news when recapping and identifying the search area. He recalled the water level being knee-deep about 2 hours after high tide. I turned on my detector and got started searching in the knee-deep water. Except the knee-deep water kept going! That is one reason this beach is so popular; the gradual slope is great for frolicking in the water but not so great for trying to pinpoint the location of a lost ring by water depth. I spent a total of 3 hours searching for this ring, dodging frisbees, footballs, and boogie-boards, oh and small children. The good news, the gradual slope left most of the search area in ankle-deep water as the tide went out. I cleaned that beach out. There was no pull tab, bottle cap, or a bit of lobster cage left in that entire area. I scooped up what must have been the very last piece of metal on the beach, and when I looked down, I saw a glimmer of silver as the sand washed through the drain holes. Finally!! I low-key inspected the ring for the Tiffany markings Larit mentioned earlier, careful not to be too obvious with my inspection. I didn’t want to alert the crowd of people standing on the beach sipping White Claw and laughing at us for wasting our time looking for this hopelessly lost ring. I came back to the chairs where Larit was sitting and told him I needed a break. He understood, and we started talking about the ring. I asked question after question to confirm I had the correct ring – I did not want to drop the big surprise and present the wrong ring! I stood up and said I was heading back out another round of searching, but before I walked away, adrenaline pumping like I was about to propose, I leaned in with my scoop and asked Larit if this was his ring. He sat there in shock for a second, then reached and pulled the ring from the bottom of the sand scoop. We celebrated for a moment, then he told me of all the other times this ring has been lost over the last 15 years. Larit has managed to get this ring back over and over again. His persistence and refusal to give up is the reason he gets it back every time.
“Keith is truly the best. I was skeptical, but he went the distance taking a ferry to block island! He found my ring in the ocean!! I had someone else try before him, and after twenty minutes, he told me it was a lost cause… Keith spent over 2 hours. On top of that, he’s a really good guy. Highly recommend.” – Keith
Lost ring in the ocean? Contact a professional detectorist to discuss the next steps. Serving Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and short distances into other surrounding states. If you have lost a ring or something of value, contact Keith Wille now uncoverthings@yahoo.com | Call or text 860-917-8947 | www.metaldetectionkeithwille.com
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.theday.com/local/20160823/with-stroke-of-luck-waterford-resident-gets-his-ring-back
Watch the Block Island ring find video…
