underwater metal detecting Tag | The Ring Finders

Wallet lost underwater in Annapolis, Maryland, found and returned!

  • from Fairfax (Virginia, United States)
Contact:

Rob Ellis: Metal Detecting Expert… Call/text/email, (703)-598-1435, Rob.Ellis@TheRingFinders.com

July 7th, 2021: Recovered wallet underwater in Annapolis, Md

Here it is!

Bill’s wallet was missing. He deduced it must have slipped out of his pocket while stepping out of his boat to the dock. Though he searched in the murky water, it was too deep and muddy for him to search effectively. Since Bill kept two metal keys in his wallet, he thought it might help while searching with a metal detector. He was correct. Modern credit card chips are detectable, but they are weak targets. Without the keys, a search next to his dock would be by touch alone.

After an internet search, Bill found my information and called me to arrange a search. Upon my arrival, we walked down to the dock so I could observe the area and plan my underwater recovery. Bill had really thought through the most likely location of the wallet.  Because he didn’t see or hear it drop, I thought it was possible the wallet could be somewhere else, and a dive would unnecessary. It turned out the one place Bill didn’t look was in the family cars. I asked if I could search his vehicles, and Bill was happy to oblige. The searches turned up two very neat and clean cars, but no wallet.

I got my SCUBA gear loaded on Bill’s garden cart and we went down the large hill to the dock. I did a quick reconnaissance with snorkel gear and determined the water was about eight feet deep. Visibility was very poor and the bottom was covered by a deep layer of silt. I donned my SCUBA gear and began my search. As anyone who detects next to mature docks can verify, there are usually many metal targets. When I heard a probable hit, I used my fingers and raked through the muck. On the seventh target, I reached out and felt the shape of a wallet! I carefully closed it and placed it in my finds bag. I immediately surfaced and waved to Bill and his mother who had joined him on the dock.

I know how devastating it feels to lose a wallet. A modern man has a lot of important things he depends on in that piece of leather. I felt a great deal of joy when I handed that wallet to Bill. Afterward he looked at me and said, “Now I don’t have to go back to the Motor Vehicle Administration!”. That I could help him avoid a trip there, made me even happier!!

 

Bill Smile!

Wallet

Rob & Bill Smiles

 

I am expert detectorist with the knowledge, skill, and experience to recover your lost items on land and underwater. Please text or call as soon as possible: (703)-598-1435

 

Note to other U/W Ring Finders:

6×8 finds bag with Velcro closure

My custom finds bag is designed by Instructor and master detectorist Ed Finck of Woodbridge SCUBA. It’s made of very durable mesh, with a brass snap clip.  I recommended it to all my underwater TheRingFinder friends. Please note I receive nothing in return for endorsing this bag. I just want to see more cool stuff for detecting!

 

 

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Lost diamond ring in yard, Ormond Beach, Florida…Found!

  • from Sanford (Florida, United States)
Contact:

I received a call from a lady in Miami who was anxious about finding someone to help her daughter find a lost ring. The mom went on to explain that her daughter lost her diamond engagement ring in the thick grass and was at the local Walmart looking to buy a cheap metal detector. Somehow the concerned mother had found theringfinders.com website and assured her daughter that there was hope of finding her lost diamond ring. A few minutes later I called Brittany and got a few more details about what happened and I assured her that I would pack up my equipment and come ASAP!

An hour later I pulled up in front of her house and could see Brittany walking thru the yard looking for her ring. It had just been raining quite hard and Brittany was afraid that her ring would wash down the ditch and disappear into the storm drain under the driveway. I tried to reassure her that rings dropped in grassy areas very seldom get moved around by rain and being as they are mostly made of gold, which is heavy, plus the opening in the center of the ring and too if there is a diamond sticking out the side….all these variables cause the ring to hang up and they just want to go down deeper into the grass. Brittany also felt very embarrassed about exactly how the ring ended up in the yard and again I assured her it happens all the time and the main objective now was to try and locate her lost ring and get it back on her finger where it has been for the last 8 years!

For these kinds of searches I carry a few inexpensive rings with a small piece of surveyors tape tied to it that I use for a test throw to help me mark the approximate location of where the actual ring may have landed. I encouraged Brittany to remember how she felt and to do exactly what she did the day before. Bless her heart–she even asked me to turn around and not to watch as she went into action. The test ring laded out in the yard some 40 to 45 feet away and I promptly set up my 4 small flags around the spot where the test ring landed and began my grid search. And sure enough not 8 feet away from the test ring I got a reading of 46 on my ATMax metal detector and it showed two inches deep. I pulled my pin pointer out to help locate the object and there it was…a beautiful white gold diamond ring…just waiting to be found! Brittany was so, so happy and I was almost as excited to be the one to find it for her.

May God bless you Brittany and may your marriage and your ring remain strong and in tact!

Lost something and need help? Call ASAP!

Mike McInroe…blessed to be a part of theringfinders.com

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Lost wedding ring in yard, Lakeland, Fl….Found with a metal detector!

  • from Sanford (Florida, United States)
Contact:


(That is me in the photo, filling in for Dave, as he was a bit shy!)

Dave was needing to get some brush cleared along the back side of his property and spent the good part of a day cutting and hauling branches out to the front of the house where the garbage truck could pick it all up. Every now and then he would remove his gloves and wipe the sweat from his brow or take a nice long drink of cold water, and then go back to work. On one occasion as he removed his gloves he felt his ring slip off of his finger and he quickly retrieved his ring and slid it back where it belonged. But as he was finishing up his work he looked at his left hand and saw that his ring had come off again so he tipped up his glove to shake out his ring but this time his glove was empty! He began looking the yard over, thinking he could easily find it but after an hour of combing thru every possible place he could think of—NO RING! The thought of finding it with a metal detector seemed like the most logical thing so he went out and bought a lower end model and started searching the yard from back to the front and along the sides. Dave was determined to find his ring and then it slowly began to dawn that maybe it had dropped into the canal at the back side of the property. A week went by and Dave realized he needed more help and that led him to one of my stories on theringfinders.com web site.

It was a two hour drive to Dave’s home and it was threatening to rain big time but after hearing his story I felt there was a good chance of being able to find his ring so off I went. After arriving and surveying the yard I set up my Garrett ATMax metal detector and went to work. (A few days earlier Dave had a chain link fence installed along the canal–so that was the most challenging part. With the metal fence and the drop off into the canal!). With the sun starting to set I turned my attention to the front of the house where Dave had hauled all the debris. I decided to start by the front door and follow the sidewalk down to the mailbox when I got a loud, sharp signal that showed two inches deep on my display and low and behold there was Dave’s lost wedding ring–just barely visible under the grass. Dave was putting his two little ones to bed at the time so I texted him a short “I found your ring!”

Whenever I am called to help someone look for a lost valuable I always ask my family and my parents, who are 88 and 87 years old, to pray for me. I assure people that God knows exactly where their item is hiding and He just needs to put my coil over the top of it. Again I thanked God for allowing me to find Dave’s lost wedding ring—just in time for their 7th year anniversary!

How can I help you? Call me ASAP at 321-363-6029. Or send me a text or shoot me an email!

Mike McInroe…always ready to search for your lost item!

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Lost gold ring on Disappearing Island, New Smyrna Beach, Fl…..Found and Returned!

  • from Sanford (Florida, United States)
Contact:

Mike McInroe—Ring Recovery Specialist…Lost Your Ring?…Call ASAP! 321-363-6029

Alicia was enjoying a relaxing day at Disappearing Island with friends and as she was swimming she somehow felt her small gold ring come off of her pinky finger. She tried grabbing it as it fell thru the water but to her horror it vanished in the soft sand at her feet. She desperately tried feeling in the sand, running her fingers back and forth but her precious ring just seemed to disappear!

This small gold ring was very special to Alicia as it was a gift to her when she was 12 years old from her mother and she has worn that ring every day for the last 23 years, until now. The location where she lost the ring was on Disappearing Island at Ponce Inlet in north New Smyrna Beach. And it is a very popular place for the boaters to park and enjoy the calmer waters and especially at low tide. During high tide the island is quite small but during low tide there is plenty of area for boats to park and especially on weekends the island is lined with boats of all sizes.

I made plans to meet Alicia at the Smyrna Dunes Park and we each brought our own kayak and with my Whites TDI Beach Hunter metal detector, scoop and other essential gear we set out across the busy inlet water way. It took a bit of figuring as Alicia texted her friends and had them each send a pin on a google map photo of where they had anchored the boat and where they would have been swimming the day she lost her ring. Alicia was worried about me being able to find her lost ring but I assured her that if she could put me in the general area where she was swimming then there was a good chance of actually finding her lost ring. So we pulled our kayaks up onto the beach in the 95 degree heat and I set about my grid search going from the wet sand and out into the water and back again, dragging one foot to mark my trail so I could actually overlap each pass so as not to miss one inch of sand. (The day she lost her ring she was in waist deep water at high tide and today we were there just before low tide so my target area was the wet sand out to knee deep water.) After an hour and a half and only digging up bottle caps, pull tabs and other miscellaneous junk I was needing a water break and while talking to Alicia we determined I had gone far enough on the one end of the beach and now I needed to go in the other direction. Alicia was feeling a bit useless and asked me several times what she could do to help me in the search. She offered to cover each hole I dug and tried to assist in finding the hidden target after I would dig a scoop of sand and dump it on the ground. After a while I tried to encourage her that the best thing she could do was “Pray” as I assured her that God knew exactly where her ring was hiding and that He would just need to get me over the top of it with my coil for us to find it. It truly is a matter of inches, as Chris Turner always says, and finally there in ankle deep water I got a faint signal and as the sand drained out of my scoop I could see a small gold ring nestled in the bottom. I motioned for Alicia to come over and look at what I just found and I will never forget the look on her face! The joy and relief and happiness all mixed in with thankfulness!

Lost something? Call, text or email me ASAP!

Mike McInroe…wowed to be a member of theringfinders.com

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Lost gold ring in Lake Killarney, Winter Park, Fl….Found and Returned!

  • from Sanford (Florida, United States)
Contact:

Nichole called me about a special ring her boyfriend lost while swimming in a lake. Apparently Trevor dove off of a dock and as he hit the water he realized he had his gold signet ring on his pinky finger. After he surfaced he began treading water and carefully removed his ring and put it in his back swim suit pocket and reconnected the velcro flap. Feeling it was safe he continued to slowly swim around enjoying the cool water. He was in the water for only a few minutes and had to swim to a nearby boat that was parked at another dock in order to climb out of the water using the ladder. (Neither dock had a ladder!). As soon as he climbed out of the water he felt for his ring and it was gone. Trevor had actually done a somersault in the water just before climbing out and as we talked, that spot seemed to be the obvious area where the ring came out of his pocket.

Thinking that he could retrieve his lost ring himself, he borrowed his brother’s scuba tank and BCD (vest) and tried to locate his ring but the bottom was so full of aquatic plants of various kinds.

Knowing that it is very difficult to search underwater when the visibility is very limited I opted to put together a submersible PVC grid frame measuring 5 feet by 20 feet. (I first saw this idea by another member of theringfinders who lives in Houston, Texas…a mister John Volek and also Jeff Morgan from Seattle, WA. gave me some extra tips on putting it together…thank you gentlemen!). This apparatus really is a game changer when doing underwater searches and I experienced it first hand!

I met Trevor at his apartment complex and loaded up all my gear on my handy beach fishing cart and we headed to the lake. It took a little while to get all set up but by 11:00am I was in the water and descending to the bottom. I could not believe just how thick the weeds and growth were and there was absolutely no way for me to use my Tesoro Tiger Shark metal detector! So I opted to use my 6 inch Pulse Dive Scuba Detector which proved to be the perfect tool for the job. Thankfully I had put a 12 inch foot on each corner of my PVC grid and that allowed me to inch my way along as I pushed and shoved my small hand held detector in and through the mass of weeds. It took me over an hour just to cover the grid inside and along the outside and I was getting very tired and plus I had not found Trevor’s lost ring. I surfaced to get a drink and rethink why Trevor’s ring was not in the target area…where he had done the somersault. We stood on the dock talking about the details of how he dove in the water and promptly put his ring into his back pocket and I repeated my earlier question about there being no holes in his pocket….and I actually leaned back and looked at his pocket and low and behold there was a factory made button hole slit…to let water out! Trevor was shocked as he had assured me his pockets had NO HOLES! Bingo! We had us a new search area! He showed me exactly where he dove into the water, where he surfaced and where he was when he put the ring in his back pocket. So I moved the PVC grid and within 20 minutes I had Trevor’s lost gold ring in my hand! What a relief and thrill it was to present Trevor with his special ring! Again I thanked God for directing me and giving me success and encouraged Trevor not to swim with his ring on! Lost something? Call ASAP!

Mike McInroe…blessed to be a member of theringfinders.com

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Lost Ring Lake Recovered SCUBA Diving: Mountain Top, Pennsylvania

  • from Fairfax (Virginia, United States)
Contact:

Rob Ellis: Underwater Ring Recovery Specialist…Call or text 703-598-1435

Ring Lost in Pennsylvania Lake Recovered SCUBA Diving

Lost July 15th, 2019; Sara and Alberto called to ask if I could find a lost ring. Sara was swimming with her daughter in their community lake. The daughter reached for Sara and accidently pulled the ring off Sara’s finger in about 10 feet of water. As the photo shows, the ring is intertwined bands. One of the bands is covered with diamonds. Sara’s ring matches Alberto’s ring, and the set has great sentimental value for the couple. They live outside my normal area, about 5 hours away. I offered to search, telling them my fee would include reimbursement for travel and overnight accommodations.

Sara and Alberto were hesitant so we discussed researching potential local options. I also suggested they call RingFinder SCUBA divers who were closer. Following my advice, Sara and Alberto found a local diver with a metal detector from a nearby dive shop. The diver agreed to search the area, removing submerged wooden boards from the bottom. Though he used a metal detector, he was not able to find the ring.

Next, they tried a SCUBA certified RingFinder team from another state. Unfortunately, they seemed uncomfortable with the conditions, unfamiliar with normal search patterns, and were also unable to locate the ring. Sara called again asking me to take the job.

July 30th, 2019 My Divemaster (Mrs.E), and I drove up and stayed in Wilkes-Barre. The next morning I searched for two hours. I had not anticipated how cold the water in the spring fed lake would be. Just below the surface the water temperature was in the mid-50s. The bottom had a layer of fine silt which, once disturbed, quickly decreased visibility (which was poor to begin with). I found numerous small bits of aluminum cans and bits of other trash. After 30 minutes, my perception narrowed and my efficiency decreased due to the cold. I didn’t find the ring.  But, now that I was familiar with the conditions I knew I could adjust for the cold and improve my search pattern. I asked Alberto if I could return and conduct another search for no fee and he said agreed.

August 12th, 2019 Mrs.E and I made the trip again.  This time I used a thicker dive suit (7mil). Because the weather had turned colder and the water was colder, visibility was better and I could recover  targets more effectively. One of the finds was a set of lifeguard keys used to open the gate to the lake and facility. I used a PVC grid I’d constructed but surfaced after an hour with no luck. My wife and I discussed our interpretations of the potential location of the ring, and she suggested searching closer to the dock. Within 30 minutes I heard a clear target. I gently waved my hand to move the silt and uncovered another piece of aluminum. Sitting next to it was Sara’s ring!

Getting to the Lake

Beautiful Site

Gear Staged

Easier to Get Dressed in the Water

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Descending

Some Typical Trash

 

Saved From the Lake

Smile!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Ring Lost Off Dock Recovered SCUBA Diving, Goose Bay Marina, Maryland

  • from Fairfax (Virginia, United States)
Contact:

A wonderful gentleman in law enforcement told me he lost his ring off a boat dock. After an hour and a half drive, my Dive Master (Mrs. Rob) and I arrived at the marina. Like most dock recoveries, the client had a good idea of where he had lost his ring. There was zero visibility and thick mud in about 6 feet of water. Luckily there was very tittle trash. It must have looked easy to the cheering crowd on the dock, as I found the ring in less than 10 minutes!

Photos witheld by request.

For help to recover your item, please text or call 703-598-1435

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Lost wedding ring in the water, St. Augustine Beach, Fl….Found and Returned!

  • from Sanford (Florida, United States)
Contact:

Jennifer and her family were on vacation in St. Augustine Beach, Florida when the unthinkable happened! Read what Jennifer wrote: “Hi Mike. Again I cannot thank you enough for finding my hubby’s ring! We appreciate your quick response to what was a terrible way to start a vacation! I will admit that I was very skeptical when theringfinders.com web site was recommended to me but you accomplished what I thought would surely be an impossible task. I know that everyone values their wedding rings but his is extra special! Not only did we inherit our wedding ring set from my parents, it also survived my husband’s near fatal car accident 14 months ago. This was our first vacation and his first time back to the ocean since then. We appreciate your prayers for him! And I want you to know that after we met in person and talked, I knew that the Lord had sent the help I had asked for, He sent us you!!
Thank you again Mike and God bless! Sincerely, Jennifer and Chandler, from Georgia”

P.S. I had to wait till midnight for low tide and was very thankful for a beautiful full moon that lit up the whole beach. And the waves were up to three and a half feet so I was getting pushed around a good bit and it took three and a half hours but it was all so very worth the effort to see that lost gold wedding ring in my scoop and then to see the tearful joy and relief on Jennifer’s face!

Lost something? Give me a call ASAP!
Mike McInroe…always on call and proud to be a part of theringfinders.com

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Lost gold chain and cross in Lake Burkett, Winter Park, Fl……Found!

  • from Sanford (Florida, United States)
Contact:

Miguel was enjoying a warm spring day on his family’s dock with some friends and as they were getting ready to head up to the house, he asked one of his friends to toss him his shirt. Earlier, Miguel had laid his shirt across the back of a lawn chair and also had removed his gold chain and cross and placed it on top of his shirt. (This chain was very special to him as it was a gift from his mom 12 years ago and he has worn it ever since!) As his friend grabbed the shirt the chain slipped off and fell directly thru a crack between the deck boards of the dock. Miguel did not actually see the chain fall but he was able to hear the sound of his chain and cross as it fell into the dark waters below the dock. Stunned, he could not believe what had just happened! He mustered the courage to get into the cold water and made his way under the dock. There were lots of underwater plants growing up from the muddy bottom making it very difficult for Miguel as he tried to feel with his hands and his feet. Numerous shells, sticks and leaves mixed into the silty bottom was a very discouraging place to have lost his precious chain and cross. He searched for a while and soon realized the futility plus he was getting very chilled so he climbed out and tried to think of what to do next. This led him to do a search online for “How to find a gold chain underwater” and thankfully “theringfinders.com” website came up. He clicked on one of my recovery stories and decided to give me a call.
The next day I met Miguel and he explained what happened and showed me exactly where the chain fell thru the crack in the dock deck. After suiting up I slid into the cold, dark water and made my way directly under the dock where Miguel figured his gold chain fell. There were allot of signals in the mud but one signal in particular sounded sharp and clear on my Garrett ATMax and after sifting out all the mud, shells and sticks there was his lost gold cross and chain! It was an honor to help Miguel and to see the joy on his face as he was reunited once again with his special gift. Maybe you have lost something recently or even years ago! Give me a call ASAP!
Mike McInroe….thrilled to be a member of theringfinders.com

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Lost diamond earring, Port Orange, Fl…..Found and Returned!

  • from Sanford (Florida, United States)
Contact:

Last Friday Amanda called me from San Antonio, Texas with a very special request. She explained that her mother Liz, who lives in Port Orange, Florida had just lost a very expensive diamond earring! Two days earlier Mrs Liz had an invitation to eat lunch at a friends house and before heading out the door she decided to wear her beautiful earrings that were a gift to her from her husband Tom, 14 years ago. They had a wonderful time visiting their friend and after a delicious meal Mr. Tom and Mrs. Liz headed for home. Immediately after arriving home Mrs. Liz went to her bedroom to remove her special diamond earrings and to her dismay one of them was missing. And the search began! They looked everywhere and could not find it. And she decided to call her daughter Amanda in San Antonio for some advice. Amanda went right to work searching for some help for her distraught mother and after typing “Metal Detector Rental Orlando” into her phone she found theringfinders and one of my search and recovery stories. The call was made and the next day I met Amanda’s parents. Mr. Tom and Mrs. Liz said they had the other earring in a small plastic bag so I could get a reading with my metal detector, but unfortunately the bag got misplaced or thrown out that morning and we had a frantic 30 minute search—emptying garbage bags and crawling all over the house. Thankfully Mr. Tom finally found it in the thrown out newspaper bin!! Before heading to the neighbors house I searched the car, the garage and basically the whole house with my flashlight and then we headed to the friends house.
At the friends home Mrs.Liz showed me where she walked, partly on the thick St. Augustine grass and half way on the cement driveway. I was barely able to get a reading with my metal detector on the diamond earring because of the small amount of gold and the thick grass prevented me from getting the coil down to where it could detect the lost one—if it was in the grass. I ended up going over the whole area using my Garrett Pro Pointer and still no earring. I then made my way into the house basically crawling on my hands and knees with my flashlight searching every possible nook and cranny. Mrs. Liz showed me where she sat at the dining table and underneath the table was a beautiful white shag carpet. So I moved the chairs and with my flashlight I scanned the carpet hoping for the sparkle of the lost diamond earring. Nothing! I then thought to run my hand over the carpet and after a few sweeps I felt something pop up and sure enough it was Mrs. Liz’s precious earring! Mrs. Liz kept saying “I can’t believe you actually found it”
Maybe you or a friend has lost something special and I can be of help. Call ASAP!
Mike McInroe….privileged to be a member of theringfinders.com

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