#Windham Maine Metal Detector Rental And Service Tag | The Ring Finders

Gold And Diamond Engagement Ring Lost In The New Hampshire Grass and Leaves, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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I received a call from Kevin, on late Thursday afternoon, November 13th. Kevin told me that a white gold engagement ring had been lost, in the backyard, of his New Hampshire home.  I then asked him how long ago the engagement ring had been lost and why did he think the ring was out in the backyard? “Did your wife see or feel the ring come off, in the backyard”? Kevin replied that “The ring was lost last night. We were having a disagreement and the ring flew out the upstairs window and into the backyard. I have looked for it but can’t find it. I even threw quarters out the window to see where they would land, but the grass is tall and leaves are everywhere”. Well, ok then. These things do happen and Gary and I have been involved in 5-6 of these, over the last few years. Gary actually found a thrown ring earlier this year. The wedding ring had been thrown into the woods, back in 1997 and the ring was found 5” in the ground. That’s right, the ring had been in the woods, lost,  for approximately 27 years. Anyways, this isn’t the first thrown ring and certainly won’t be the last. Kevin wanted to know if I would be able to search, for the ring, in the morning. I told Kevin I would definitely be there in the morning, probably around 9:00am. Kevin then asked if anyone needed  to be there, as both he and his wife would be leaving for work, while it was still dark out. I told Kevin that no-one needed to be there but asked if he could send me a photo, of the area, that needed to be searched. Kevin agreed and actually sent me two photos. One photo was of the backyard, taken from the window, that the ring was thrown out of. The second photo was taken outside , showing the upstairs window, that the ring was thrown out of. This was perfect and the area was very small. Looking at the photos, I figured I could cover the area in just 20-30 minutes, max.

So, this morning, Cheryl and I headed out to New Hampshire. We arrived at right at 9:00am. We walked out back and the first thing I noticed was just how many leaves were in the yard, mixed in with the tall grass. No wonder Kevin didn’t find the ring. I decided to start at the top of the slope, because we found a test Quarter, that Kevin had thrown out the window. As I worked my way down the slope, I wasn’t receiving any targets, at all. A very clean lawn. Once I arrived at the bottom of the slope, I was making my way southeast, when nI received a nice sounding low tone, reading as a 19, on my VDI screen. Definitely in the gold range. I couldn’t see anthill because of the thick grass and leaves. I then took my pinpointer out and started zeroing in on the target. Once I pinpointed the target, I started removing some leaves with my hand, when I saw a beautiful engagement ring, staring back at me. We had found the ring in only 5-6 minutes. Because of the circumstances, I knew the ring should be found fairly quickly but it is still a relief when you actually see the ring. Since both Kevin and his wife were not home, I took a photo and sent it to Kevin, showing the engagement ring and my business card. Kevin replied “ WOW, that was fast.” I replied “5-6 minutes, Down over the hill.” He replied “Wow, In the leaves.” Because neither Kevin or his wife were home , Kevin asked me to place the ring in the garage.  “The garage side door is open, you can leave it in a tool box drawer. Can’t miss it.” I went into the garage side door, to look for the tool box. Cheryl went to our vehicle, to find a sandwich bag, to place the ring in. I found the large tool box, with no issue. Cheryl brought the sandwich bag to me and we placed the engagement ring, the quarter and my business card, into it. I then opened one of the drawers and placed the bag under some tool,  in the back right corner, of the drawer. Now this was a little unnerving to me. I really didn’t feel right just hiding the ring, inside a garage but Kevin told me neither of them would be home until 5:00pm or so. I then asked Kevin to let us know as soon as they get home and have found the ring. I have enough stress, in my life, I don’t need to worry about an engagement ring I found and left behind. At just after 5:00pm, Kevin texted me and said, “Got it!!! Back on the finger.” Kevin then thank me again and Cheryl and I couldn’t be happier or more relieved. 

Like I have mentioned, Rings being thrown are nothing new to us and we don’t judge people for these occurrences. They happen and will continue to happen and we will continue to help find them, free of judgement. I am just so thankful that Kevin called me immediately. If the backyard had been raked, mulched, mowed, etc., who knows if the ring would have been found. Kevin did the exact correct thing he should have done. He did not disturb the area and he called us for help. After approximately 16 hours after being thrown, the ring was found and returned. Another ring is back on the finger and everyone is smiling tonight. Kevin and his wife were not home, so I was unable to get a photo with either of them. We have the best job in the world.

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Sentimental Gold Cross Pendant, With Diamonds, Lost In The Saco Maine Grass and Leaves, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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I received a call from Lori, on Monday, November 3rd, concerning a lost Gold Cross Pendant , with Diamonds. Lori’s son, Anakin, and his friend, Caleb, had been playing football, in the backyard, after school. Once they were inside Lori’s home, Caleb noticed his Gold Cross Pendant was missing but the necklace was still around his neck. Everyone searched the backyard but they were unable to find the Gold Cross. They even went back out and searched, in the dark, with flashlights, to no avail. We made plans for me to search, first thing the next morning ,Tuesday. Caleb didn’t have school, at Thornton Academy, because it would be Election Day and all of the City of Saco Government wards, vote at Thornton Academy. Caleb would be able to show me exactly where he had been in the backyard, which would be a big help.

Tuesday morning, I arrived promptly at 8:00am and was shown the area to be searched by Caleb, Lori and Anakin. The backyard isn’t very big and I was confident I would find it, if it was there. Caleb wasn’t even sure, if the Gold Cross had been lost in the yard. He was concerned that he had lost it at school, as he was removing his backpack and then putting it back on, throughout the day. Caleb was also concerned that he had lost it, while walking to Anakin’s and Lori’s home, almost a mile, from Thornton Academy. The school and the walk presented problems because anyone could have seen the Gold Cross, in those public areas and kept it. Our best chance at a recovery is for the Gold Cross, to be in the yard. I was told the Gold Cross with Diamonds was a very special gift, to Caleb, from his mother. I could see the hurt in Caleb’s eyes and want to so much, find this special gift, for him.

Now the home is located at the Cote Funeral Home, in Saco. Cote Funeral Home is a very well known and respected local business, that is family owned and on their 5th generation, of Funeral Directors. WOW!!!

As I started grid searching the area, I couldn’t believe how much metal was not only in the area, but also in the ground. Fencing, generator, underground wiring, sprinkler heads are tough but then Lori told me that a home had been torn down, when the expansion of the Cote Funeral Home happened, many years earlier. Could this have been why there was so much metal, in the ground? A demolition would certainly explain a lot of metal, in the ground. After grid searching the backyard, the flower garden and a small area, on the other side of the fence, I was not able to locate Caleb’s Gold Cross Pendant. I suggested to Lori, to notify the Saco Police Department, in the event someone found it on the side walk. I also suggested that they contact Thornton Academy, in the event it had been found at the school. Lori was already ahead of me and told me that they had already contacted TA and the Saco Police. I wished them well and told them to don’t give up searching because these items sometimes are found days, months and yes, even years later.

When I am not able to find someone’s lost item, it bothers me and it bothers Gary Hill , as well. We just don’t enjoy disappointing our clients. It feels like we’ve let our clients down, when we are unable to locate their lost items. I go over the unsuccessful search, in my mind and think if there is anything else I could have done. I just had a bad taste in my mouth, about all the metal, in the search area. That much metal can absolutely cause us to miss such a small thing like the Gold Cross Pendant. Metal in and above the ground can interfere with a metal detector’s ability to find a small gold cross by creating false signals, masking the small target, and reducing the detector’s accuracy. As I thought about it, I decided to go back to Cote’s Funeral Home and search the area, for a second time. Since I had searched the area, with my 11’ coil, I decided to search the area with my 8” elliptical coil. This is my most sensitive coil, to small gold and because it is much smaller than my 11” coil, I would be able to try and isolate a smaller area, under my coil, resulting in less metal being detected, at the same time. If I could isolate the gold cross pendant, under the coil, I would have a much better chance of finding Caleb’s pendant. I immediately called Lori and asked if I could come over, sometime in the next few days and search the area, again. Lori was 100% behind this idea.

So today, Monday November 10th, I went back over to Cote’s Funeral Home, with my 8””sniper” coil. I live less than a quarter mile, around the corner, from Cote’s Funeral Home so I decided that if I wasn’t successful today , I would try again tomorrow. Once I arrived I decided to perform an East – West grid search pattern, as I had already done a North – South pattern, in my earlier search. I started in the corner, next to the generator and once again, couldn’t get close to it, because of all the metal, above and below the ground. Once I was searching, in the open yard, I was still getting lots of metal, but nowhere near what I was getting, with the 11” coil. I was able to isolate the targets much better, with the smaller coil. I was also using a different metal detecting program. I was using the most sensitive program, on my Minelab Manticore, the Goldfield Program. This program along with my most sensitive coil was hopefully the winning combination. I was now feeling very confident ,that if the cross was here, I would find it, with this setup. As I plodded along, I was getting many non ferrous, low conductive targets, which is what I was looking for. Unfortunately all those targets were in the ground and the Gold Cross would still be above the ground. I was now about an hour into the search and about 1/2 to 3/4 of the area had been searched. As I was about to finish up another section of yard, I received another great gold signal. I looked down and couldn’t see anything but grass and leaves. I took my pinpointer out and as I was running it through the grass, I heard the target and caught a very small glimpse of something gold. I looked again and there was a very small gold cross. I couldn’t believe it. Caleb’s gold cross has been found. I called Lori and said, “Guess what I just found?” Lori literally screamed, in delight. She told me she would be right home, in 5 minutes. I left the gold cross, in the grass as I found it and showed Lori just how well it was hiding. Lori then told me that Caleb just had surgery, for a torn ACL, just a few days ago and after I had met him, almost a week earlier. Caleb was in pain still, from the surgery and hasn’t been sleeping well. He is at home recuperating and Lori was going to drive right over to Caleb’s house and surprise him and hopefully cheer him up a bit. I was so happy that Caleb will soon have his Gold Cross back. This should definitely be a mood booster.

Later that afternoon, Lori texted me and said , “Thank you again, so much. He was so thrilled and so was his mom. See the attached photo.” Lori sent me a photo of Caleb, recuperating , with a big smile on his face. Even though I haven’t seen Caleb, since he received his very special Gold Cross back, I got the biggest smile on my face, seeing him holding his cross, and the big smile on his face. Another smile and another piece of jewelry back with the rightful owner. There in no better feeling, in the world, than to help people, like Caleb. I have the best job, in the world. Here’s wishing Caleb a speedy and healthy recovery 😀❤️🙏

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Very Sentimental Gold and Diamond Ring Lost In Ogunquit Maine, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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As I was driving home, from Standish, Maine, I received a text, from Liz.  Liz had lost a very sentimental ring, in Ogunquit, Maine, earlier that morning. Unfortunately, she had to leave Ogunquit , to return home. Liz lives in Brooklyn, NY and had been visiting her mother, for a birthday weekend, in Ogunquit.  She had found my name, after the Ogunquit Town Manager had referred her to The Ring Finders website. It was now late morning, October 5th, when I pulled over and immediately called Liz. Liz told me that earlier in the morning, as she was walking to the beach, for her daily swim, she was taking her ring off, when she suddenly dropped it. Now, when Liz told me that I thought it should be a fairly easy recovery, as long as she wasn’t in the water and the tide was coming in. Liz then told me that she dropped the ring, while walking across a footbridge. The ring had hit the footbridge and the fell through the gaps, between the boards, of the footbridge. Liz then told me that as soon as the ring disappeared , under the bridge, she and her brother, made their way, over some treacherous rocks and searched for the ring. Neither Liz or her brother were able to find the ring, on the rocks, below the bridge. Liz then sent me a photo of the footbridge and circleld the area, where she was at, when the ring was lost. She also texted the following 

“I’m so sorry you have to climb down there — my brother and I did this morning and it wasn’t too bad but if it looks, too treacherous, we’ll call off the search! 

It definitely fell through the cracks closer to the ocean side

It was at least 10 feet into the bridge and definitely before the bridge makes that slight turn”

I told Liz that I would be in Ogunquit, in an hour or so, as I had to go home and get my metal detecting equipment, prior to driving to Ogunquit. So, I retrieved my equipment and headed to Ogunquit, but not before checking the tide chart. I didn’t want to get there and see that the tide had come up under the bridge or even come up later, and strand me under the bridge. Thankfully, the tide was working in our favor. I would have plenty of time, to search for Liz’s ring, without having to worry about the tide, coming in. Once I arrived in Ogunquit, I couldn’t believe all the people in town. It was October but the temperature was already 79 degrees and heading to the mid 80”s. A beautiful day. Parking was at a premium and I saw that right next to Wharf Lane, where the footbridge was located, was a motel. I noticed that Sea Chambers Motel, had quite a few parking spaces available and I went in to ask if I could park there, while searching for a lost ring. One of the employees, behind the desk, knew of The Ring Finders of Maine and was happy to let me park, while I searched, under the bridge. She told me that it was offseason but in the summer, when they are booked full, they wouldn’t have any spaces for me. No problem, I was very grateful for their kindness. 

After parking, I arrived at the footbridge a few minutes later. I took some photos from atop and below the footbridge. I sent a photo from above and below, to Liz and asked her if I was in the correct location. She drew a circle, on  the top of the footbridge and stated, “Like fell down right around there” The second photo, from below, she also circled and said, “I pray I’m right but I’d say right in and around there”.

 I made my way to the drawn circle, under the bridge. Once I arrived at that location, I was surprised at how much vegetation was under the bridge. I immediately started a metal detecting search but wasn’t able to locate Liz’s ring. I was trying to be careful, on the rocks but lost my footing, a few times, so I decided to just slow down and perform a search, north to south, horizontal with the footbridge. If I wasn’t able to find the ring this way, I would then swing the coil from east to west. This way, I would be able to watch my footing better. As I finished my north to south search, I still had not found the ring. I decided to go one more section, to the north, on the chance the ring had hit a rock and bounced further up the footbridge. There was also the chance that Liz was a little off, on where she had lost the ring. That’s why I always expand the search, when it isn’t found, where it is thought to be. The results of the next section were no different, from the first two sections, I had searched. I then thought that the ring could have possibly hit a rock and ended up out in the wet seaweed. I decided to search the seaweed and grass, away from the bridge and work my way to the south. Again, the ring wasn’t found in the seaweed and grass. I would now do an east to west search of the area, under the footbridge. As I finished the second section, still no ring. I started the third section and about half way through the section, I heard a very faint sound but it wasn’t repeating and was most likely not the ring. I took a step up under the bridge, so I could see better. When I looked behind the rock, I couldn’t believe it. It was Liz’s ring, just sitting there. But, Why didn’t I find it the first time through? My guess is that the rock, that the ring was hiding  behind, didn’t let the coils electromagnetic field to be “seen”. Quite possibly, I just missed it, while trying to maintain my footing. Either way, didn’t matter. I now had the ring and sent Liz a photo of it, saying “Congratulations”. Liz immediately replied

“OH MY GOD

Dennis!!!!

I am so so so happy and relieved!

My mum lives at ** ******* Street and the back porch is open — 

I could also come get it from you next time I’m in Maine (end of October)

Oh man, I am so beyond grateful!!!”

Now I personally don’t like going inside someone’s home, porch, garage, whichever it may be , without someone there. I told Liz we could definitely meet at the end of October and she can get her ring back, at that point. I would put the ring in my safe , until Liz returned in approximately 3-4 weeks. Liz was absolutely fine with that. She then sent me another text

“Amazing amazing amazing 

Thank you”

Now fast forward to today, Halloween. Cheryl and I drove back down to Ogunquit, to meet Liz and return her ring. Liz is in town again, to visit her mother. We met at Mornings in Paris, right there on Main street in Ogunquit. Liz was all smiles as Cheryl and I walked in to the restaurant. Liz said she was very excited to get her ring back and just didn’t feel right, without it. When I asked Liz what the ring meant to her she told us that the ring had actually belonged to her best friend’s grandmother. Her friend’s grandmother had a very big influence on Liz, as she was growing up. Liz would often borrow the ring, from the grandmother and wear it. The ring had a very special connection, a connection that made a bind, between Liz and her friend’s grandmother. When the grandmother passed way, years ago, the family wanted Liz to have this special ring and gifted the ring, to Liz, for her birthday. Liz was overwhelmed with joy, when she received the ring. The ties that bind these two women, were now in Liz’s possession forever, keeping their special memories and relationship going strong. It is such a great feeling to be able to reunite these extremely sentimental, lost rings to the rightful owner. It’s truly the best feeling in the world. 

Another ring back on the owners finger and served with a reciprocal smile. We have the best job, in the world. 

 

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Lost Gold Signet Ring Found With A Metal Detector, Buried In The Grass For The Second Time, In Portland Maine

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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I received the following text, on Friday afternoon, September 2th, 2025,

‘Hello, I hope you’re doing well and had a great summer!

A few weeks ago, my husband lost his ring in either our front or backyard and we have been looking for it since. We even bought our own metal detector but have had no success. Feeling a little hopeless, we are reaching out to see if you’ll be able to help us find it!

We are unsure if it was spotted in the front yard and someone took it, or if it is buried under some grass. Knowing it’s been weeks, we are now looking for some closure.Funny enough, you helped us find this ring in the winter under some snow. We would love if you could help us out one last time.”

 

Wait, What do you mean that I had already found this ring once? A repeat customer? I immediately called back and Alexa answered. Alexa explained that I had found her husband’s Gold Signet Ring, back in February, after he had slipped and fallen, on the ice, in their driveway, of their Portland Maine home. Ethan had been snow blowing the driveway, when he slipped on a patch of ice, sending him to the ground, hard. His Gold Signet Ring went flying off his finger. I found his Gold Signet Ring the next morning, under the snow and ice.

This time however, Alexa explained that she and Ethan had been moving their kayak’s from the vehicle out in front of their house, to the backyard. They had walked across the front lawn and the driveway. Once in the backyard, Ethan washed the kayaks, prior to hanging them up, on their fence. Ethan also had gone to other areas, in the backyard, while performing yard work, etc.. Alexa told me the ring had been missing for approximately 2-3 weeks and Ethan actually went and purchased a metal detector and searched the front, side and backyard, without finding the gold signet ring. They had also raked the lawn, hoping the ring would be removed from the thick grass, of some of the areas. It was then they decided to mow the lawn and hopefully see it, once the grass was cut. After mowing the lawn, they also visually searched. barefoot, hoping they would feel the ring, if stepped on. Still no ring. Alexa and Ethan had given up hope of finding the ring, on their own. They even thought the ring may have been found already, if the ring had been lost on the front lawn, near the street, where any passerby may have seen it, just lying there. I told Alexa that the ring being lost near the street was also a concern of mine. She was correct in thinking that a passerby could have seen the ring and taken it. I also conveyed my concern of mowing the lawn. Lawn mowers have been know to damage rings and also throw a ring, out of the area, you thought it may be in. In summary, you should never, ever mow a lawn, until the area has been searched with a metal detector and by a knowledgable and experienced metal detectorist. If at all possible, the area should not be disturbed, in any manner, until the area has been searched, with a metal detector. It is also recommended to not wait to contact someone to search. Time is of the essence and the odds of finding a lost ring diminishes the longer it is missing. Not impossible, by any means, but just tougher to find. 

Alexa and I agreed, for me to search their property the next morning, at 8:00am. I arrived just prior to 8:00am and Ethan came right outside. Ethan then ran through the events of the day, when lost the signet ring.  He then walked me around the property, showing me where he had been that day, 3 weeks ago. The ring could be pretty much anywhere on the property. Ethan told me that he had become frustrated, with the metal detector because it was making so many noises and there wasn’t anything there and just gave up. I told him it is understandable because of his inexperience and all the metal, in the area. My concerns were that the fenced in backyard had a lot of metal around, including the fences. It is tough for an experienced detectorist to search around so much metal, never mind someone using a metal detector, for the first time. I am a methodical, grid searching kind of guy. I like to start at the beginning of an area (this time, the front lawn) and grid search towards the backyard, until I have searched the entire property. I do this every time, unless the client can tell me with certainty, the ring will not be in an area. Ethan couldn’t do that and I went with my tried and true grid search. Ethan then went inside and told me to just knock on the door, if I needed anything. Looking at the property, I knew I could search the front, side and backyard in 45 minutes ro an hour, as it really wasn’t very large. I started the grid search at the street and worked my way towards  the house. Nothing even close to being a gold ring was found. I did locate a quarter, on top of the ground and placed it on the asphalt, of the driveway. So Ethan or Alexa, Just next to the front lawn and behind your vehicle, I left you a quarter, if you would like to go out and get it. So, back to the search. The front lawn only took me 10-12 minutes and the side lawn another 5 minutes. No ring was found. I then went to the back yard and my detectors couldn’t get very close to the fence or propane tanks. I actually used my pinpointer, around those areas, in the thick grass. Still no ring. As I worked my was along the backside of the house, I came upon the area across from the water spigot and hose. This is the ares that Ethan had washed the kayaks in. Just as I was almost past the hose, I received a loud target, reading 56-57, on my VDI Screen. Interestingly enough, I had refreshed my memory of the first search, by reading he story of me finding Ethan’s signet ring, back in February. His signet ring rang up as a 55, when I found it, in the snow and ice.  So a 55 on the VDI Screen, 7 months earlier and now a 56-57. Could this be his lost ring? I looked down in the thick grass and couldn’t see anything.  I turned my pinpointer on and located the target. I then pushed back the grass a little bit and I saw a small section of a gold ring. Ethan’s ring had been found. I then called Alexa, asking her “ Could you and Ethen come outside. I have something for you?” Alexa screamed into the phone, “You’ve got to be kidding me” and before I knew it, Ethan came running out the back door and appeared in the backyard, with Alexa. I showed them the general area, the ring was located but the ring was still hidden. I ran my coil over area and Ethan then moved some of the grass back and he saw his ring, for the first time in weeks. It is still amazing to me, that these large rings just disappear and cannot be seen, in the grass. So Ethan has his Gold Signet Ring back, once again and everyone was happy and smiling. Ethan said he would look into getting his ring resized and I also suggested a silicone ring adjuster/sizer. They work great and are only around $10.00 at Amazon or Walmart, compared to a few hundred dollars to get a gold ring resized. Just before I left I gave  Ethan a quick tutorial on the metal detector he had bought. I told him if he lost his ring again, he should be able to now find it with his detector and if he doesn’t find his ring, he can always call me back, once again and I will be happy to help. I love my job

 

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Heirloom 14K Gold Pendant Lost In Sand And Grass Area, In Arundel, Maine, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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I received a message, from Chelsea, on Saturday evening, asking if I would be able to search for a lost necklace and pendant. I immediately called Chelsea back. Chelsea told me that her 13 year old daughter, Emma, had lost a Gold Necklace and Pendant, at a family birthday party. The birthday party was at Chelsea’s father’s property, in Arundel, Maine. Chelsea told me that there were many adults and children looking for the necklace and pendant but they just could’t find them, even though they knew the approximate area, the necklace and pendant were lost in. Chelsea even told me that the pendant had been found once and then Emma dropped it, only to disappear again, right at her feet, as she was standing there. With it now being just after 5:00pm and the sun setting before 7:00pm now, we made plans for me to arrive at Chelsea’s fathers house, at 8:00am, the next morning. Chelsea the sent me the address of her father’s house and his phone number. If I needed anything, I could contact her father, Leroy. With the gold pendant and necklace being on private property, the gold items would be safe overnight.
So early this Sunday morning, I arrived at Leroy’s property and Leroy was already outside, still searching for the necklace and pendant. When I introduced myself. Leroy told me that the necklace had been found and it was just the pendant, still missing. Leroy took me over to where Emma had been standing, when she dropped the pendant. I looked at the area and mentioned to Leroy that I would think the pendant would have been visible, after being dropped. Leroy agreed and told me the adults were astonished the pendant wasn’t visible in the very short grass and sand. We started talking about the pendant possibly being dropped in another area and Emma thought she was in this area. Leroy was absolutely sure that Emma had been standing, in this area, when she dropped the pendant. Leroy also conveyed that the previous evening, Emma had checked her clothing, thinking the pendant may have somehow landed in her pocket or shoes. No pendant was found. At this point, Emma’s father, Nate arrived and he also went through the entire turn of events and his and Leroy’s story was exactly the same. The pendant had to be in this area. I was then told that the previous evening, a rake was used, in searching for the pendant. Could the pendant have been moved, out of the area, by the rake? Could the pendant have covered up with the sand/loose gravel, by the rake? We shall find out. I told Nate and Leroy that I would grid search the area from near the vegetation, along the pond, to the driveway and repeat that process, until the area had been 100% searched. If I didn’t find it, in the area, I would start expanding the area of search.
The grid search line from the vegetation to the driveway, was maybe 20’. It wouldn’t take me long to cover the entire area. As I made my way towards the driveway, I received a few non ferrous targets that I knew wouldn’t be the pendant but I checked them with my pinpointer anyways, for due diligence sake and being thorough. All targets were in the ground and were not the pendant. As I turned and headed back towards the pond, same thing was happening. A few targets being checked out but the pendant was still missing. I then headed back towards the driveway and a few steps in, I heard the tone I had been hoping for. A loud, repeatable low tone, showing up a very solid 18, on the VDI Screen. This just had to be the pendant but when I looked down at the patchy grass and sand/loose gravel, there was nothing there. As the three of us were there looking at the ground, I grabbed my pinpointer and started searching the sand/loose gravel area and all of a sudden, I see a tiny piece of gold and then I saw the outline of a pendant. Emma’s pendant had been found. Leroy, Nate and myself marveled at how the gold pendant blended in with the sand/loose gravel and surrounding area. We also talked about how the pendant ended up, beneath the sand/loose gravel. Could the foot traffic in the area, while searching have covered it up? Could the raking have covered it up? It was very close to where Emma thought she had dropped the pendant but was just hiding, under the sand/loose soil.
Nate and Leroy then told me the story of the gold necklace and pendant. Chelsea had actually bought them, when she was around 16 years old, with her own hard earned money. As Emma always loved the necklace, Chelsea passed it down to Emma. Thankfully the necklace and pendant will now be back together, once the necklace is repaired. UnfortunatelY, I was not able to meet either Chelsea or Emma but Nate is going to make sure Emma gets her gold pendant back. As I was leaving, I saw the smiles on Leroy and Nate’s faces and although I could’t see my smile, as I walked to my vehicle, I also was wearing a large smile. Love my job!!! It’s the best job in the world.
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Gold Wedding Ring Lost In The Water, Saco River, Brownfield, Maine, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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I received a Voicemail on Saturday Evening, August 23,

“ Hi, My name is Brendan. I am currently staying on the Saco River, in Brownfield, ME. We lost a wedding ring, in the river today, on or off the beach somewhere. We have done a lot of looking for it, but we weren’t able to find it. I was just inquiring about your availability, rates, all that jazz. We do have to be out of the Airbnb tomorrow, by 11. So it is somewhat of a time thing and I don’t know if you would come and metal detect, at a different time and mail it. Regardless, Please give me a call back. You can reach me at 617-***-****. Again, this is Brendan. Thank you, Take care.”
As soon as I saw his voicemail, I called him back, ,approximately a half hour, after his voicemail was left.. Brendan told me that he and a group of 8 or nine friends had rented a house, on the Saco River, in Brownfield Me. One of the guys, in the group was getting married soon and this was the bachelor weekend. Earlier in the day, a member of the group had lost his wedding ring, while they were all swimming, in the river. They had a very good idea of where it was.and though it would only be in knee to waist deep. But, the sandy area they were swimming, quickly drops off, to much deeper water. I told Brendan that I could certainly search,, up to 5 feet deep but anything deeper than that, I would’t be able to get to. I also told him that I could search, the next day but I was already booked, in Greenwood, Maine and couldn’t guarantee I could get to Brownfield, by 11:00am. If I did arrive, in Brownfield and the group had already checked out, I would need permission, from the owner, of the Maine Airbnb property. I do not go on other peoples property, without permission. We left it at that someone in the group would try contacting the owner, securing permission, for me to access their property and search for the lost wedding ring.
The next morning, Gary and I left at 6:00am, for the nearly 2 hour drive, to Greenwood Maine.and search for a lost gold signet ring. As we were arriving at the camp, in Greenwood, I received a text message, from Brendan

“We are still waiting to hear back from the air bnb host. So unlikely that today will work. If anything changes or they allow access later in the week I’ll be sure to check with your availability.” I replied “Ok, Thanks”

As luck would have it, Gary was able to locate the gold signet ring, in just about 10 minutes. We left Greenwood around 9:00am. As we were driving back home, I received another text, from Brendan, at approximately 9:45am.

“Heads up Dennis. I gave your number to the guy whose ring was lost. Turns out our checkout is 2:00pm he wants to give you a call to check availability”

Before I could reply, I received a call from Jonathon. Jonathon was the one, that had lost his wedding ring, in the river. Jonathon told me if I could make it to Brownfield, by 2:00pm, he would stay behind, and guide me to the location, where the ring was lost. It wasn’t an easy place to find, as it involved driving to a spot, up the road, then walk down a path, in the woods, for approximately a 1/3 to a 1/2 mile, to the sandy beach area, along the river. It was now approaching 10:00am and I needed to see exactly how to get to Brownfield, from where Gary and I were, in the Gray, Maine area. I told Jonathon I would get right back to him and pulled over, on the side road, to look at the map. Once I got the information I was looking for, I called Jonathon back. I told him I could be there in 45 minutes to an hour. Gary and I then took a hard right and we were heading to Brownfield.

Once we arrived, we were met by Jonathon and his friend, Cory. They again mentioned the walk, on the path, through the woods and he and his friend offered to carry anything we needed. I told him we would be fine and then we drove back up the road and stopped at the trailhead. The walk through the woods was much easier than I thought. The path was actually quite large, from all the ATV traffic. After a 10-15 minute walk, down the wooded path, we arrived at the sandy beach area, on the Saco River. Jonathan then showed Gary and I the area that he thought the ring was lost in. The area was very sandy and should not be a problem. I told Gary that I would start out in the water, as far out as I could safely go. I would the grid search, parallel to the shore and work my way, towards shore. Gary would start, at the shore and work his way, towards me and the deeper water. I went out to where the sand ended and the drop off to deeper water started. Hopefully the ring didn’t get thrown out in the deep water. With Gary near the shore, I worked my way west, on my first grid pass. Absolutely no targets at all, just really soft sand. Gary also had no targets, as this area was extremely clean of trash. As I turned and headed east, still no targets. Then, approximately halfway into this grid pass, I received a very loud low tone. I immediately knew this was Jonathan’s wedding ring. Having used an Minelab Excalibur II, since 2006, you just know when you hear gold. I looked up onto the shore, where Jonathon and Cory were talking and Gary was still searching. I hesitated for a moment and wanted to have someone take a video of the recovery but decided not to. I just told everyone that I was pretty sure I had located the ring and that got their attention. I took one scoop of sand and shook it in the water, until the sand was gone. As I was shaking the scoop, we could all hear something clanging around, in the scoop. I was hoping it wasn’t a rock. I brought the scoop up and looked inside. There it was a gold wedding ring. I made a face of disappointment, as I reached into the scoop, so when I pulled the ring out, everyone would be surprised. I grabbed the ring and quickly pulled it out, held it high, for all to see and said, “Congratulations, I got it”. Jonathan and his friend just couldn’t believe it, giving each other high fives and saying something to the effect of this was epic and unbelievable. As I came to shore, I asked Jonathan how long he has been married and he replied, 2 years. I then told him, “Now you can stay married” and handed him his ring back. We were all laughing, smiling, making jokes and it just felt great to see the weight of a lost wedding ring, be lifted, from the shoulders of Jonathan. He kept thanking Gary and I for making the long trip out to Brownfield and recover his wedding ring. Gary and I thanked him for placing his trust, in us, to recover his ring. It’s not something we take lightly and we love helping others, get their sentimental rings back.
As Gary and I were driving back home, we were rehashing the day’s events. By the time we got home, we would have driven 216 miles, been gone for 7 hours, recovered 2 sentimental rings (in just 15-20 minutes of actual search time) and loved every moment of it. The smiles on Joe and Angela’s faces, in Greenwood and the smiles on Jonathan and Cory’s faces, in Brownfield were all we needed, for fuel. We were both riding high, on cloud nine. We love our
jobs.😃❤️🙏

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Sentimental Gold Ring Lost At Range Pond State Park, Poland, Maine, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
Contact:

At approximately 9:00am, Thursday morning, August 21st, I received the following message, from Renata

“Hello, last week a friend of mine and I went to Range Pond, in Poland, Maine and she lost her very sentimental gold ring. We have tried searching for it, someone came along with a metal detector and also searched but no luck!
I was wondering if this is anything that you could possibly help with?”

My reply
“Hi Renata, So sorry to hear this. I may be able to help. Does she know the location where the ring was lost, and the depth? “

Renata replied
“She does know the about location. I can’t imagine it would be very far down in the sand. She said it was lost while on the beach itself. When you are at range pond it would be all the way to the left side of the area where boats can come in and out. The exact location is about in the middle of that and the edge of the beach.
This is the ring.”

Renata then sent me some photos, of the area and of the ring
I replied
“ok, So it’s not in the water. If up on the beach, I would be concerned someone has found it already or even another Metal Detectorist. Let me look at an aerial view of the area and see if I can figure out the location. I will get back to you in a few minutes.”

I then sent Renata a photo and asked her if she could tell me if the ring would be in one of the 4 sections, that I had marked up and she then circled the area, of where she thinks the ring was lost. I then replied to Renata and reiterated my concern that they had already had another metal detectorist search that area, and hadn’t found it. I also told her that I could go and search the area once again. I really didn’t know if the other metal detectorist has any experience or what kind of detector they were using. After all, it was just someone that they saw and asked for help. I Also asked Renata if her friend, Hope, saw or felt the ring come coming off and if the ring could have been lost somewhere else.
Renata replied
She said that it was in the pocket of her bag and then was not when she was home. I suppose it’s obviously possible someone snatched it.”
I replied
“Yeah, It just seems strange the other detectorist didn’t find it. Since it was in a bag, could it have fallen out, in her vehicle, parking area, as she walked out of the park, etc? If she hasn’t, she should report it lost to the State Park. If you would like me to search, I could go up today, around 4:pm, when people are leaving.”
Renata told me that Hope had reported the ring lost, to the Park Ranger, at Range Pond State Park. I then told her that I would definitely go later, in the day, as people left the park and the beach would not be crowded. When a beach is crowded, you just can’t perform a proper grid search, with everyone on the beach. Renata told me she would not be able to meet me there because they were on Peaks Island. That was ok, because I had a very detailed area, to search.

Cheryl and I arrived at Range Pond State Park, at just prior to 4:00pm and found the Park Ranger to tell him I was there to search for Hope’s lost ring. The Park Ranger, Walter, then told me someone else had searched for the ring last night. Walter also told us the guy “looked like a professional” metal detectorist WOW! A second metal detectorist has now searched for the lost gold ring. Walter was told that the ring was not found. Now I’m doubting if the ring is actually there. Has it been found, lost somewhere else. It happens all the time. Walter also told me that he wasn’t very pleased the “professional” metal detectorist, from the night before . That metal detectorist has dug holes, in the beach and didn’t fill them in, but just leaving the holes, for anyone to step in. Definitely not good. Once Cheryl and I got on the beach, there were a few groups of people in the center of the beach, where the ring was thought to have been lost. So, I decided to start on the far left side of the beach, as you face the pond. I would grid search the area, from the water, up to the trees and back to the waters edge, working my way towards the middle of the beach. As I was grid searching, I was finding many small fishing sinkers and a few coins. I thought to myself that with two different metal detectorists searching the area, in the past four days, those should have been found. More importantly, more people had left the beach and now there were only a few people, on the beach. I was now approaching the center of the beach, after approximately 45 minutes of searching and I started to see the many dug holes, left by the ‘professional’ metal detectorist. To me this wasn’t a good feeling, concerning the lost ring. I decided to continue, until the entire beach had been searched. About 15 minutes later and just a few feet from some of the dug holes, I received a nice low tone, reading 27-28 on my VDI screen. I didn’t get too excited because that is also the exact VDI reading, of a nickel. The target was reading 0 (Surface) to 2 inches down, in the sand. I took my hand and started wiping the sand away. All of a sudden, there it was, a gold ring with some stones. I was stunned!!! Dug holes less than 10 feet away, two metal detectorists searched this exact area and yet, it was still here. Amazing. I looked at Cheryl , up under the trees, in the shade (yes, she’s the brains, of the family and I’m the sweaty brawn) and yells “I FOUND IT” as I gave her a thumbs up. Cheryl came right over and she couldn’t believe it either. Four days on a public beach and two other metal detectorists searched for the ring, in this exact area. Crazy.

I then took a photo and sent it to Renata, saying, “Does this look familiar?”
Renata’s reply was,

“Stop!!!! We both just screamed!!!
Literal tears of joy!!
How can we pick it up from you??”

We then made plans for Hope to meet me in Windham, as that is where she lives and it is on our way home.
Approximately 45 minutes later, Hope arrived and you could see just how much this ring meant to her. She was just so excited and happy, to see her ring again, after thinking it was gone forever. Hope was smiling ear to ear as she told us that the ring was actually a gift that she had fought for herself, after giving birth to her son, a few years earlier. She called it her “Birthing Gift, to myself, after her son was born. To Hope, this ring represented the birth of the most important person, in her life, her son. Thankfully the ring has had a rebirth and is now back on Hope’s finger, where it belongs. I am just so happy to have a small part in the rebirth. I have the best job, in the world.😀❤️🙏

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Gold Engagement Ring Lost In The Ocean Park, Old Orchard Beach, Maine Sand, Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
Contact:

I received a call, just after 10:00am, on Thursday August 21st. The caller was frantic sounding and she identified herself as Aryane. Aryane told me that she had lost her Engagement Ring, the previous evening, in Ocean Park, Maine. She and her fiancée had searched last night in the dark but unfortunately, they could not find the engagement ring. Aryane had returned to the beach this morning to resume the search. As she was searching, two lifeguards arrived, for duty and also help search, by combing the sand. Another beach goer saw what was going on and told Aryane to contact me. The woman told Aryane that she follows me, on Facebook, and I should be able to help her. This is when Aryane called me. I told Aryane that I could be there and help her, in approximately 20 minutes, as I live close by, in Saco, Maine. Aryane told me she was on the beach, at the end of Reggio Avenue.

Once I arrived I walked onto the beach and Aryane walked right over to me and introduced herself. I asked what had happened, the previous evening and did she see or feel the ring come off. Aryane told me that her boyfriend, Benjamin, had proposed to her, Tuesday evening and last night, Wednesday evening was their last night in Ocean Park, Maine. Aryane and Benjamin decided on their last night that they would go to the beach and do some star gazing. As they were star gazing and talking Aryane felt her brand new Engagement Ring slip off, as she was gesturing with her hands. Aryane told me the ring was a little loose and that she intended to get it resized, once her and Benjamin returned to their home, in New York. Unfortunately, she never got the chance to get it resized and was now worried she would never see her Engagement Ring of 1 day again. As I looked over the area, I told her she was lucky because I did not see any signs of the beach cleaning machine, having gone through the area. A big plus and I saw a slight smile on her face, when I told her that.
There were a few areas that I could see where people had been searching, as the sand was all disturbed. Aryane told me she remembered standing next to the burnt wood, of a bonfire, the night before. She and Benjamin were then just 10 feet or so, to the north west of the burnt wood and it was this area, that most of the searching by Aryane, Benjamin, the lifeguards and my follower had been taking place. I told Aryane that I would start my grid search, next to the burnt wood and work my way north, to where the lifeguards had the chairs, just 15’ or so away. I would grid search, towards the beach access path, covering the area, where they had been searching. With Aryane, the lifeguards and my follower watching me, I started my first grid pass. Within 30 seconds, I received a very nice sounding low tone, registering a 27, on my VDI screen. Definitely in the gold range but I tempered my excitement became nickels ring up as a 27 and are also a low tone target. I retrieved my pinpointer and located the target. I started running my fingers, down into the sand and felt the target and it had a hole in it. It had to be the ring and was very heavy, for its size. As I pulled the target out of the sand, I could see the brand new shiny gold just shimmering, in the morning sun. I had just found Aryane’s Engagement Ring, of one day and I then heard the shriek of excitement, clapping and hollering, from the people watching me. The lifeguards were just amazed that I had found it so fast and I told them that it’s better to be lucky, than good. As I passed the ring back to an extremely happy and excited Aryane, she immediately put it back on her finger and gave me a hug. All the nervousness had left Aryane’s body and she now had a happy bounce as she walked and it was a great feeling to see her smiling. I would like to thank my follower for the referral and for her concern for Aryane. It was a genuine concern and she helped Aryane with support, while they searched. I would also like to thank the lifeguards who helped look for the ring and also gave Aryane support.
Aryane told me that she is from Brazil and Benjamin from New York, where they now live and are planning their lives together. I wasn’t able to meet Benjamin, as he was packing up their belongings and had to be out of their rental. As Aryane left to meet up with Benjamin, she was all smiles and just overwhelmed and overjoyed. It’s such a great feeling to turn a potential gut wrenching nightmare into a happiness that resonates to everyone involved. I love my job 😀❤️🙏

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