Lost Wedding Band in Snow Taking out Trash | New Haven Connecticut
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
http://www.theday.com/local/20160823/with-stroke-of-luck-waterford-resident-gets-his-ring-back
