South Cape Tag | The Ring Finders

South Cape Beach, Mashpee, MA Lost I-phone Found and Returned

  • from Cape Cod (Massachusetts, United States)

September 1, 2023: As Jamo’s daughter said “It was a great weekend on the Cape” at least until her father rushed into the water and lost his cell phone. The party of three searched for the phone but did not find it. Photos, contacts and other information was to spend three days buried in chest deep water. After viewing a 1851 Large Cent that Leighton (another RingFinder) had just found and abut 10 feet away that I heard a strong signal. It took two tries to get the target into my scoop and pull it from the bottom of the beach. Amazingly it was an I-phone11 in good looking condition.

At home I did not see any ingress of water into the phone, I pulled the SIM card and there was no sign of water there either. With all the power cords I had, none fit the Apple. I called Leighton and asked him to bring me one the next day.

The next day the phone was put on charge. A half an hour later it turned on with a photo splash screen which was locked. We tried a few common pass-codes and none worked. I did not know how the Emergency Number functioned and being hesitant about it dialing 911. I did not want to activate a 911 call. I spent some time researching and found Medical ID might yield some usable information. My luck, it only gave the owner’s name and age. There was no emergency contact name or number. However the first name was unique – Jamo.

I searched Facebook and found two matching names and with the age deleted one. I messaged the other and had no answer. I was able to deduce Jamo’s daughter’s name and from her Facebook page her husband’s name and his Facebook page. I messaged each of them and waited… A few hours later I received a text from Susie. I called her number and YES, the phone was her father’s. We held a short conversation which was interrupted by a call on my home phone from Jamo.

I told Susie I would call her back and answered My other phone. I talked with Jamo and related the story of finding the phone and search for the owner. As fate had it, Jamo was returning to Cape Cod the next day and we made arrangements to meet and make the return. The “Next Day” turned into another two days before the phone exchanged hands. At the exchange…shat an outstanding note Jamo had written and then read to me. This is one gift that is at the top of my most memorable returns the list.

The moral that we all can learn form this return it to put a contact phone number into your Medical ID if you have a cell phone. I have entered two contacts and my home phone number in mine, not that I plan to loose my phone, but one never knows what will happen. Lets all keep on smiling along with Jamo.

 

Truro, MA Lost Car Key, Found, and Returned

  • from Cape Cod (Massachusetts, United States)

August 30, 2023: Luke Berube was overloaded with work and called me to help him out by taking on a search/recovery of a lost car key. As RingFinders do, I answered the call setup a time for a search. Also as usual my detecting partner, Leighton Harrington, was contacted to go on the search as two detectors can make for a faster and more complete search for a lost object. His company also makes for a more enjoyable ride to and from the detecting site. The weather forecast for rain and wind did not deter our effort.

It seams Cal had a great time on the beach and his enthusiasm did not stop until he reached his car at the end of the day. He was lucky enough to have a spare key but his mother was adamant about finding the key that was lost somewhere between the beach and car, more than likely in the sandy path going over the dune.

Several family and friends searched for the key even using a rake over the entire path. The key was not found. What was found was a link to TheRingFinders.com and a call was made. Now two days after the loss, the detecting search was on. The path was nice clean, soft sand, a pleasure to walk on and dig in. After two trash targets I had a large signal and it was deep according to my detector’s ID screen. After four scoops, I was about to give up but instead I took another slow sweep and then a pinpoint reading. With that information I placed my scoop and stood on it to get to a depth of 8 inches. Lifting the scoop in a sweeping arc, I saw a little blue flash. It was the quick disconnect and attached to it was the missing key.

It was difficult to comprehend how the key got so deep in the sand. Best theory is that the foot traffic, raking action, along with blowing sand over the past two days caused the key to be so deep in the sand.

It was a pleasure meeting Cal’s father and relating a few stories. Cal was at the terminal waiting on the arrival of his girl friend. As we ended up with thanks and good-byes a drizzle started to fall and then the rain came. Perfect timing to a perfect return.

 “BE THE REASON SOMEONE SMILES TODAY”