#YorkBeachMaine Tag | The Ring Finders

Platinum Wedding Ring With Diamonds Lost At Short Sands Beach, York, Maine Found With A Metal Detector

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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? THE RESCUE AT SHORT SANDS BEACH! ?

? A VERY SPECIAL 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY MIRACLE! ?

? THE PANIC CALL
It was early afternoon on July 31st when my phone rang. On the other end was Laura, and I could hear the immediate panic in her voice. She had just lost her wedding ring—a stunning platinum wedding ring with a half band of diamonds, and the irreplaceable symbol of nearly ten years of marriage.

?️ THE IMPOSSIBLE TARGET
The biggest challenge? She wasn’t entirely sure where it had slipped off.
She had been playing up on the dry beach sand and digging holes with her young children, at Short Sands Beach, in York Beach, Maine. The moment I heard the words “digging holes,” my heart instantly sank. If that ring had slipped off and been buried deep inside a refilled sandcastle pit, finding it was going to be a massive challenge.
But then there was the second possibility. They had also been body surfing in the crashing waves at high tide! ?

⏱️ THE TIMELINE
When I asked Laura if she had felt the ring slip off, she gave me the breakdown. Earlier in the day, she had safely stored the ring inside a Ziploc baggie in her beach bag. Her family was with the chairs the entire time, so she knew it hadn’t been taken. She was 99% sure she took it out of the baggie and put it back on her finger right before heading into the water. She noticed it was completely gone the second she stepped out of the surf.

? TRAFFIC? NO PROBLEM!
Even though she was heartbroken, Laura was incredibly sweet and considerate. She told me, “If the traffic is crazy, please don’t bother. I feel bad taking up your time.”
By now, it was 2:15 PM. I told Laura right then and there that I would get to her as soon as possible—traffic or no traffic!
I hit the road and made good time, arriving just before 3:30 PM. To make things even smoother, Laura had incredibly arranged for a secured parking spot for us nearby. A HUGE releif as parking is a nightmare in these coastal Maine towns.

?️ THE CROWDED BEACH HUNT
Laura met me and walked me down to Short Sands Beach, where the rest of her family and friends were still hanging out. By this time, the tide was starting to go out, but the water was still high up on the crowded beach.
I started by searching the best I could around all the beach towels, chairs, umbrellas, and other beach necessities. I paid particular attention to the areas where the holes had been dug, but found no sign of the ring. With so many people and belongings covering the sand, I decided to abandon the dry sand search.
Since the tide was still fairly high, I pivoted to the small strip of wet sand and began following the water line out. Unfortunately, because the dry beach was packed, the wet sand was heavily crowded too. I did the best I could under the circumstances, but I knew this wasn’t a proper, thorough grid search.

? THE 5:00 AM MISSION
With the beach still packed with people, I knew we needed a different strategy. I told Laura I would head home but return early the next morning at 5:00 AM to continue the hunt. I planned to bring Gary Hill with me to thoroughly search the entire area while it was completely free of beachgoers. My biggest concern was beating the beach rake cleaning machine, which would easily scoop up or bury the ring if it went over the area first!
With the game plan set, Cheryl and I packed up our gear and headed back home to Saco for the evening.
The next morning, the mission was on. Gary met me at my house at a bright and early 4:15 AM. We threw our gear into The Ring Finder Mobile and jumped right onto the Maine Turnpike. We arrived back at Short Sands Beach pre-dawn, just in time to catch a beautiful, quiet sunrise over the ocean.
We mapped out a flawless game plan. Gary’s mission was to start up in the dry sand near the seawall and systematically work his way down toward the wet sand. Meanwhile, I would start right at the cusp of the dry and wet sand, tracking my way down toward the receding water.
With our combined teamwork, we were confident we could get this entire area searched before the beach cleaning machine or the first beachgoers arrived to crowd our grid.

? LETS GO!!!
As we started searching, those deeply dug sand holes from the day before were still weighing heavily on my mind. But I had total faith in Gary to proceed very slowly, carefully listening for even the faintest blip of a non-ferrous target.
The beach was relatively quiet, and only a few random targets were popping up. Then, after about 5 to 7 minutes of sweeping, my detector caught something. It was a very, very low tone.
Honestly, my first thought was that it was going to be a piece of trash foil. It was that low, registering right at a 05 on my Target ID (TID). It was a very low-conductive target, but experienced detectorists know you can never pass those up. Knowing that a small platinum ring can absolutely ring up with a TID of 05, I didn’t hesitate. I knew I had to dig it.

? THE REVEAL
I dug a small scoop of sand and carefully dumped it onto the wet sand to separate the target. As I sifted through, there it was—something glinting round and silver. It was Laura’s platinum wedding ring!
How crazy is that?! Gary and I had only been on the beach for about five minutes before the missing ring was safely in my hand!
I uncovered it right at the high tide mark where the wet and dry sand meet. Because it was found far away from the dry sand where she had been digging holes with the kids, my guess is that the ring definitely slipped off while she was out body surfing in the water. I hadn’t been able to search this exact spot the previous afternoon due to the massive wall of beach chairs, towels, and crowds. Later on when I got home, I actually looked back at photos from the day before, confirming that this exact target zone had been heavily packed with people.
Once the initial shock wore off, Gary and I decided to film a very short video for the big reveal. I started the camera showing the gorgeous sunrise, telling Laura we were at the beach but were already going to be leaving because…
Then, I panned the camera straight to Gary, who had a massive smile on his face. As I shouted, “…WE FOUND IT, CONGRATULATIONS!!!” Gary held her beautiful platinum ring high up for the camera to see! ?✨
I hit send on the video at exactly 5:14 AM. I knew it was incredibly early, but I also knew the absolute anguish and heartbreak Laura had been going through. She had put on a brave face the afternoon before, but Cheryl could sense the pure, heavy agony she was holding deep inside. There was absolutely no way I was going to hold back the good news for a single second longer than I had to.

? SMILES, HUGS, AND CELEBRATION!
After hitting send, Gary and I didn’t pack up just yet. We stuck around to search for a few other items that had been lost weeks earlier—ones that haven’t been found yet, at least to our knowledge.
About an hour later, my phone rang. It was Laura, and she was in total shock and disbelief! She told me she had truly believed her wedding ring was gone forever, only to wake up and see a video of it completely safe. I could hear the pure joy and excitement in her voice as she kept thanking us over and over. She thanked us for staying around the beach and let us know she would be right down as soon as the kids finished eating breakfast. I told her it was no problem at all—we’d be waiting right there.
A very short time later, Laura, her husband Matt, her children, and three of her nieces all marched down onto the beach to witness the official return. It was absolute magic. There were SMILES, SMILES, and more SMILES everywhere you looked! And I can’t forget the hugs, the handshakes, and the massive shift in energy from the somber, heavy atmosphere of the afternoon before. Gary and I much prefer the celebrations, just like this morning!

With Laura’s 10th anniversary just a few weeks away at the time, she had a massive weight lifted off her shoulders just in time to truly enjoy and plan for her milestone day—which is right now, today!

Laura, we are so incredibly honored we could rescue your ring and preserve such a beautiful milestone. Happy 10th Anniversary from all of us at The Ring Finders of Maine! We wish you and your husband a lifetime of continued love, happiness, and securely-fitting rings! ?❤️

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14K St Anthony Pendant Lost In The Atlantic Ocean Water, Found With A Metal Detector At Short Sands Beach, York, Maine

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
Contact:
? ???? ?? ??? ???????? ?????: ??? ??. ??????? ??????? ?????? ?
I received a call from Joanne. Her son, Rob, had been enjoying the day at Short Sands Beach in York Beach, Maine , when disaster struck. After getting out of the ocean, Rob looked down and realized his 14k gold St. Anthony pendant was no longer on his necklace. It was lost somewhere in the rolling surf. ?
? ??????? ??? ???? ?????? ?
Joanne asked if I could help. I immediately checked the tide charts and saw that the tide was currently coming in. When she told me the pendant was lost around 1:00 PM, I knew that meant it went missing at mid-tide. ?
I explained to Joanne that our absolute best chance for a recovery would be to arrive at Short Sands at 7:00 PM. By then, the tide would be heading back out, hitting that exact same mid-tide level, allowing me to follow the water out as it receded. She told me Rob would meet us there. ?
? ??? ????? ?????? ?????? ?
When Cheryl and I arrived at 7:00 PM, Rob was waiting. He brought us right down to the beach and pointed out the exact area where he had been swimming when he first noticed the pendant was gone.
I mapped out my strategy and told Rob I would grid search parallel to the shore, expanding the search area by an extra 25 feet to both the north and the south to guarantee we covered every square inch of the zone. ? Duty called for Rob, and he had to leave the beach shortly after to head back to Boston for work the next morning. ?
Cheryl and I pushed on. I grid searched the area for more than two hours, finally calling it a night after 9:00 PM as darkness completely took over. ? I had covered the entire designated area, but the ocean only gave up coins and the usual pull tabs and small pieces of aluminum. No gold. ?
? ? ??????? ???? ?? ??? ????? ???? ?
On the drive back home to Saco, Maine, I called Rob to give him the update. I told him the pendant simply wasn’t in that specific grid. I asked him if he had actually felt or seen the pendant slip off his neck, and he said no. Then I asked a crucial question:
“Had you been swimming earlier in the day?” ?
“Yes,” he replied. “Three or four other times.”
Right then, a lightbulb went off. It all made perfect sense! The St. Anthony pendant hadn’t come off during his 1:00 PM swim—it had likely slipped off during one of his earlier swims, and he just hadn’t noticed it was missing until later in the day. ?
? ????????? ????? & ? ??? ???? ?
Knowing he had most likely lost the pendant earlier in the day, my mind immediately went back to the tide charts. I saw that the morning low tide was set for 10:39 AM. My new plan was to get back to Short Sands Beach by 7:00 AM, matching the receding water and following it all the way down until low tide three and a half hours later. I was highly optimistic that the earlier swimming area would finally be exposed. ?
After a restless night with maybe three hours of sleep—because my mind just wouldn’t stop racing over that missing gold—I pulled back up to Short Sands Beach. ?
I wasted no time getting to work, picking up the grid search from north to south, moving parallel to the shoreline once again. For the first hour and a half, the beach was stubborn. I was only digging up the usual suspects: coins and pull-tabs. By 8:30 AM, with two hours left until low tide, I knew I just had to keep grinding. ?
? ?????? ??????????????: ??! ?
Just ten minutes later, everything changed. ?
My detector screamed with a LOUD, LOW TONE, locking in at a solid 35 on my Target Identification Screen (TID)! ? It sounded absolutely beautiful, and my adrenaline instantly spiked. ?
I scooped up a heavy load of sand, flipped it onto the wet, hard-packed surface, and pulled out my pinpointer. As I located the target and began brushing away the top layer of sand, there it was—a bright, unmistakable glint of SHINY GOLD! ✨?
I pulled it out, and holding it in my hand was Rob’s St. Anthony pendant! My theory had been spot on. After two separate days and four and a half total hours of searching, the puzzle was solved. The pendant was resting about 40 to 50 feet further out toward the water than where Rob originally thought he lost it, proving he had dropped it during one of those earlier swims. ?
? ?? ???????? ?????? ?
I immediately captured a video of the recovery and sent it to Rob and Joanne. Within minutes, both of their phones were ringing off the hook—they were absolutely ecstatic! ??
Since Rob was already back at work in Boston and Joanne was also down in Massachusetts, Rob asked if I could hand the precious heirloom over to his girlfriend’s brother, Jay, who was still vacationing in York with his family. I told him, “Absolutely!” ?
Meeting up with Jay and handing over the pendant felt incredible. Job done. But the real icing on the cake came a short time later when I received a text from Rob that truly says it all: ❤️
? ? ??????? ???? ???? ?? ??? ?
“????? ??? ?? ???? ?????. ???? ??? ????? ?? ?? ?? ?? ??????????? ??? ??? ???????? ?? ????? ????????. ?? ??? ? ???? ?? ??? ??? ?????????? ??? ??? ????????????? ???? ?????. ? ????? ?????????? ??? ??????, ????????, ??? ???????? ??? ??????. ???? ??????? ????? ? ??? ?? ??, ??? ? ???????? ????’? ????? ?’? ???? ??? ?? ?????. ??????? ?? ???, ? ???? ????????? ???? ??????? ???? ???? ? ??????? ??? ???? ???????. ???? ?????????? ??? ??????????? ?? ???? ? ???????? ???????? ????? ???? ???? ? ??? ??? ???? ?????. ????? ??? ?????, ? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ????????. ??? ??? ?? ??????? ???. ??? ???? ???? ??? ?? ???? ??? ?????? ????? ?? ???? ????? ??? ???? ?????? ?? ??? ?????, ??? ? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ??????.” ??
❤️ ??? ?? ?? ???? ?? ?? ❤️
Well, if a message like that doesn’t warm your heart, absolutely nothing will. It is exactly for reasons like this that we do what we do. The jewelry we recover holds deep family bonds and irreplaceable memories that a retail store can never replicate. These items represent family history. ?✨
I truly have the best job in the world, and I love my job! ??
?? ??? ?? ??????? ??? ???? ????? ? ????, ????, ?? ? ??????????? ????????, ???’? ?????, ???’? ??? ?? ??? ????, ??? ???’? ???? ??? ???????? ?? ?????? ?????? ?????! ???? ?? ????? ???? ?? ???-???-???? ?
Remember: “?? ?? ??????? ?? ???, ?? ??????? ?? ??.” ?✨
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Platinum Engagement and Wedding Rings Lost On The Beach, in York Maine, Found With A Metal Detector, at Long Sands Beach

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

? A Race Against the Tide: The Search for Katie’s Rings ?
I received the following text

*“Hi, my name is Katie. I found your info on Google saying you try and find people’s lost wedding rings? I lost mine today on York Beach, Maine , Long Sands right before high tide.

We tried to go look but couldn’t find it or our exact spot. Was wondering how your services work and if you might be able to help me. My husband and I have been married for almost 9 years… we walked down the horrible steps and then sat on the wet sand before high tide, in between the bad set of stairs and the ones just south of them. There’s a house across the street, its number is **, and it has little buoys that kinda look like popsicles.” ?️

Along with the message, Katie sent a Google map with a pin drop and GPS coordinates. Excellent.

⏱️ The 5:30 AM Game Plan
After looking at the location and the tide charts, we knew our best chance of recovery would be early in the morning on July 5th. Gary and I arrived at Long Sands Beach in York Beach, Maine at 5:30 AM. ?

With low tide at 9:31 AM, we had plenty of time to search for her wedding and engagement rings, which were soldered together. With two of us on the job, we could cover the entire area without worrying about the incoming water.

Katie had lost her platinum wedding set when she took them off to apply lotion to her children. ? She placed them in the cupholder of her beach chair. As the family enjoyed their beach day, the rings slipped her mind. When they packed up, the rings fell out of the cupholder as the chair was carried away to the truck.

One big concern I had was that they had set up on the hard-packed wet sand. If the rings fell there, they wouldn’t sink right away. They would sit on the surface until the tide came in and buried them—meaning anyone walking by could have easily spotted them and picked them up. ?

? Cruising the Grid
Gary and I hit the beach as planned. Gary started up in the dry sand, working his way toward the water. ?️ I started on the hard-packed wet sand, working toward the shore. If we didn’t find them here, our backup plan was to search their walking path to the “Horrible Stairs.”

The area was a little larger than I thought. Our grid search was yielding nothing but a few coins and the usual beach trash—pull tabs, foil, and bottle caps. ?️

As we neared the end of the section, Gary stopped so I could finish it off. He was about to move to the walking path. I didn’t have a good feeling about that path because the Beach Cleaning Rake had gone through the area just before we arrived. If the rings had been there, the machine could have dragged them anywhere.

I was starting to lose hope. We were running out of real estate, and the rings were still missing. ? I had maybe two or three passes left before I was completely done.
* First pass: Nothing.
* Second pass: Almost finished, and then…

? BANG!!! The Sound We Needed!
I received the exact target tone I had been waiting for! ? A loud, low tone, repeatable and just 0–2 inches below the surface. The Target Identification (TID) screen showed a low-conducting metal reading 18-19. Definitely platinum.

I yelled over, “Gary, I think I found them!” ?️

The target was so loud I knew it wasn’t deep. Once I used the pinpointer, I didn’t even need to dig. I could actually see the outline of the ring right through the wet sand. I brushed a little sand away with my finger, and there was Katie’s precious wedding set! ?✨

UNBELIEVABLE!!! Just one more pass and we would have walked away. This is exactly why we never break a grid search. You just never know where a lost ring will be.

? The Big Surprise
I took a video to surprise Katie. I started the video making it look like an unsuccessful search, only to quickly pan over to Gary with a massive smile, holding up the rings!

? “Check out the video Reel on our page to see the exact moment we surprised her!!!

Within a couple of minutes, Katie called us. Hearing the pure excitement in her voice was the absolute best. She told me she and her husband Klayton were just down the road and would be right there.

Within ten minutes they arrived. Just watching her walk down the street was incredibly rewarding—you could see the “bounce” in her step, and her smile said it all! ?

As Katie received her wedding rings back, the relief was unmistakable. The anxious voice from the night before was completely gone, and the rings went straight back onto her finger where they belonged. Life was good once again! ?

Gary and I truly have the best job in the world. We love what we do.
Remember: “If It Matters To You, It Matters To Us.” ??️‍♂️

 

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Gold Engagement And Wedding Rings Lost Swimming At Moody Beach, Wells, Maine, Found With A Metal Detector

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

? Lost at Moody Beach! ?

I received the following text on Sunday, June 28, at 5:36 PM:

“Hi Dennis! My name is Jillian, and I lost my engagement and wedding rings today at Moody Beach.

I believe they may have come off while I was swimming earlier this afternoon.

I heard from many people you were the guy to reach out to. I’m sorry for the Sunday evening text! These are pictures of the rings:”

⏱️ Race Against the Tide

To speed the process up, I immediately called Jillian back.

Jillian told me that she had been enjoying the last day of her trip at a friend’s beach house along with her husband, father, and a few others.

While in the water swimming and throwing a football around, she noticed her gold engagement and wedding rings were no longer on her finger.

? The Search: Jillian, her family, and friends went back out as the tide was receding.

⏳ Time spent: They searched for two to three hours.

? Equipment: Someone even searched with a metal detector, but all to no avail.

Jillian and her husband then had to return home to New Hampshire for work the next morning.

With the tide now coming in, I told Jillian I could be at Moody Beach at 5:00 AM for the 5:41 AM low tide.

Since Jillian had been in the water at mid-tide, arriving prior to the morning’s low tide would give Gary Hill and me plenty of time to search the area.

I sent Jillian an aerial view of the beach, and once she verified our target area, we were ready to go.

? A Beautiful Sunrise & Double Signals

Gary and I arrived at Moody Beach the next morning and were greeted by a beautiful sunrise.

We decided to search north to south, moving vertically toward the water.

My Strategy: I started in the wet sand near where I thought the waterline would have been the prior day.

Gary’s Strategy: Gary started up near the seawall.

We both worked our way toward the water, with Gary covering the sections I skipped.

This way, we could cover the entire search area in three or four hours, but hopefully, we would find them in less time.

As we started searching, we weren’t finding many targets at all—it was a very clean beach.

I was finding an occasional pull tab and small pieces of aluminum.

Gary found a few coins but no treasure, except the treasure of the sunrise.

It was a very quiet search with very little digging until around the 40-minute mark.

Suddenly, I received a very strong low tone giving me two separate readings.Signal 1: 17

Signal 2: 29

This definitely got my attention. Two targets, both in the gold range, and two missing rings!

What are the chances of these being the lost engagement and wedding rings?

? Found! Double Gold!

I thought they were very good, so I yelled over to Gary,

“I think I got them!”

I waited for Gary to arrive before I dug the targets. I threw the scoop full of sand up onto the hard-packed wet sand and let Gary use his pinpointer to probe it.

? Ring #1: Once he located the target, Gary pulled out the engagement ring. YES!!!

Now to find the wedding ring. I swung my detector over the hole and found the second target was just outside of it

.? Ring #2: Gary used the pinpointer to locate the target, put his fingers into the sand, and pulled out Jillian’s wedding ring.

Gary and I high-fived each other, smiling and laughing at our good fortune.

It was now 5:39 AM. I took a photo of the rings and texted it to Jillian, simply saying, “Got them.”Less than a minute later, I got Jillian’s reply:

“OMG, you’re incredible!!” ?

❤️ A Huge Relief for a Growing Family

I then asked her if there was someone at the house we could give the rings to.

Jillian replied, “I’ll have my Dad come out! I’ll call him right now,” and she then sent another text:

“He’s coming out. Thank you SO much! We even metal detected that side, you are incredible.”

Her excitement made Gary and me very happy. Soon after, we saw her father, Jim, making his way onto the beach.

Jim was also incredibly happy and excited, telling us he truly thought the rings wouldn’t be found.

Jim also told us that Jillian had been devastated and he was especially worried because she is expecting her first child in November! ??

WOW!!! We were so glad we got down here and found them just 15 hours after they were lost.

Jillian could now stop worrying and put all her energy into her pregnancy.

? A Few Days Later…

Jillian sent me another text a few days later saying:

“Good morning! I can’t say enough how much I appreciated your efforts and have been telling the story to everyone I know. Thank you so much again.”

?Gary and I are still on cloud nine with this recovery.

Unfortunately, Gary and I were not able to meet Jillian ourselves to return the rings.

Jillian tells me she is now were her rings once again, after receiving them from her father.

Knowing we were able to help Jillian in her time of need and relieve her worry is a huge reward for us.

We have the best job in the world, and we love what we do!

??️Remember: “If it matters to you, it matters to us.”

? Lost Something Valuable? Call or Text Dennis!

If you or someone you know ever loses a ring, keys, or valuable items on the beach, in the grass, or even in the water—please don’t wait!

Time is critical, especially with shifting sands and tides.

Call or text Dennis right away at  ⁨(207) 423-3027⁩

The sooner a search begins, the higher the chance of a successful recovery!

??Remember: “If it matters to you, it matters to us.” ?❤️

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Tungsten Wedding Ring Lost Swimming In The Ocean, Found With A Metal Detector, Old Orchard Beach, Maine

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

? THE RING SHOULD HAVE READ 50… IT READ 21. WHY? ??

The Ring Finders of Maine, With Recovery and Return #231

I received a call from Kevin late Sunday afternoon. He told me that approximately five hours earlier, he had lost his tungsten wedding ring while in the water at Old Orchard Beach. ?️
Kevin was not far from the Oob Pier lifeguard stand, right in front of the carousel at Palace Playland. He had lost the ring at high tide, and as the tide receded, he searched the area where it had come off.
After hours of searching, the ring was nowhere to be found.
As you all know, once a ring comes off in the surf, it settles under the sand and out of sight. ?⏳
Kevin wasn’t giving up, though. He asked the lifeguards what else he could do to find his ring. The lifeguards told him to call The Ring Finders of Maine—and here we are! ?✨
I told Kevin that I could be down there in about a half hour, at 5:15 p.m., and Kevin agreed to meet me there.
He told me he would meet me after helping his wife get their four children back to the cabin they were renting for their week-long vacation in OOB. ??‍?‍?‍?

? The Search Begins
Once I arrived in OOB, I made my way down the beach to the area near the lifeguard stand.
Kevin hadn’t arrived yet, and not knowing the exact area where he lost it, I just started searching at the bottom of the beach bank slope.
As I finished my first pass without finding the ring, Kevin arrived. He said he wasn’t that close to the slope, and he sized up the area to establish the parameters of where I should search. ?
I decided to grid search from the lifeguard stand to the carousel, going back and forth while working my way toward the water. ?‍♂️???
I started in front of the carousel as I made my way toward the lifeguard stand and pier. I received a few targets, including the storm runoff pipes deep under the sand.
The only non-ferrous item was a recently dropped quarter. ?
When I dug it up, I could see Kevin watching intently. I told him that this wouldn’t be his tungsten ring but would be a quarter. When I pulled the quarter out of the sand, he was impressed that I knew what it would be before digging it! ?

? Talking “Shop” & Target ID Numbers
I told him that modern U.S. quarters ring up on the Minelab Manticore metal detector in the 88–90 area on the Target Identification (TID) screen.
I told Kevin that his tungsten wedding ring should have a TID of around 45 to 55, although I have found them as high as the 60s. Size, thickness, and purity play a role, but for the most part, I find them in that 45 to 55 range.
I finished up my first grid pass, turned around, and headed south. Within a minute of this grid pass, I received a nice non-ferrous target of 21. ?
Lots of low-conducting metals can have a TID in the low 20s, including gold. I told Kevin it probably wasn’t going to be his ring, but it was too nice of a target to pass up.
I dug a scoop full of sand, and the target was out of the hole. I used my pinpointer to locate it, and once it was located, I was completely surprised to see a tungsten wedding ring! ??
I showed it to Kevin and asked him if it was his. As he took it from my hand and looked it over, he said:
“Yup, that’s mine. I can see the crack in it.”
AWESOME!!!! ??
Kevin thanked me, shook my hand, and asked, “Can I give you a hug?” Of course! I love smiles and hugs. ?
Kevin then sent a photo of the ring to his wife, still smiling ear to ear. ??

? The Science of Eddy Currents
I told Kevin that I really didn’t think a TID of 21 would be his wedding ring. But once I heard him say the ring had a crack in it, it all made sense! Metal detectors work like this:
Metal detectors rely on a phenomenon called Eddy Currents. ?
1️⃣ The Loop Effect: A metal detector’s search coil sends an electromagnetic wave into the ground. This induces circular electrical currents (eddy currents) to travel around the unbroken, continuous loop of a ring. ⭐
2️⃣ The Result: This unbroken loop creates a strong, secondary electromagnetic field that the metal detector detects as a highly conductive, solid object (giving you that clean 45–55 reading for tungsten). ?
3️⃣ The Break: The moment a ring is cracked—even a hairline fracture that goes all the way through the band—the continuous loop is broken. The eddy currents can no longer travel around the circle. ?
Instead of detecting a large, round object, the metal detector now views the ring as a bent strip of wire or an open staple.
Because the electrical path is restricted, the detector perceives it as having drastically lower conductivity (hence the reading of 21!). ?

⚙️ My Past Career Connects!
Now, for 26 years, I worked at Nichols Portland (NP) in Portland, Maine. ?
NP is a manufacturer of gerotors, among other things. Gerotors are powdered metal components that were prone to cracking if not handled properly.
Because Nichols Portland takes cracked parts seriously for both us and our customers, we actually used an eddy current machine (a crack detector) to detect cracks in our parts prior to shipping them out. Our reputation for quality parts was second to none! ✨
Eddy currents are nothing new to me, and as soon as Kevin told me about the crack, I knew immediately why the ring had such a low TID. ?
Sorry for my rambling, but I haven’t talked “shop” in five years since my retirement. Some things you just never forget! ?️?

❤️ A Heartwarming Ending
As Kevin and I parted ways, I kept metal detecting as I walked down the beach and back to my vehicle. All of a sudden, I heard Kevin and turned around to see him running toward me! ?‍♂️?
He held his phone up and said, “My children want to thank you for finding my wedding ring.” ?
I saw four young children all smiling and thanking me for finding “Daddy’s ring.” ?
I told his children it was my pleasure as they waved to me over the phone.
It just doesn’t get any better than that. It warms your heart to know you’ve touched theirs. ❤️
✨ Remember: “If it Matters To You, It Matters To Us.” ✨
I have the best job in the world. I love my job! ??️?

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Sentimental Sterling Silver Ring Lost In The Sand, Found With A Metal Detector In York Beach, Maine

  • from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)
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? Lost Ring at Short Sands Beach, in York Beach, Maine! ?

The Ring Finders of Maine, With Recovery and Return #230

On Tuesday evening, just after 8:30 PM, I received an urgent call from Andrew. ?

His daughter, Kristen, had just lost an extremely sentimental sterling silver ring. She has worn this precious gift every single day since she was 14 years old! ?

This ring has traveled the world with Kristen, accompanying her on trips across three different continents. ?
Needless to say, it is irreplaceable.

Kristen had lost the ring just thirty minutes before Andrew called me. The family is currently on vacation and was enjoying some time at Short Sands Beach in York, Maine. ?️

While playing volleyball on the beach just before sunset, Kristen felt the ring slip right off her finger as she was serving the ball! ??
Andrew and his family immediately began searching, but they just couldn’t spot it in the sand.

However, Andrew made a brilliant move—he marked the exact area where Kristen was standing when the ring flew off! ?

Knowing that precise location helps immensely during a recovery. ?

As they were searching, a kind person walking their dog on the beach saw their plight and gave the family my contact information. ?‍?

After checking out The Ring Finders of Maine Facebook page, they liked what they saw, and Andrew gave me a call. ?

I told Andrew I would be there in approximately 45 minutes. He said he and his family would wait and continue their search. ?

Once again, thoughts of a beach cleaning machine crossed my mind. ? I wasn’t sure if Short Sands Beach uses mechanical cleaners or not, but I didn’t want to take any chances!

Cheryl and I quickly packed up our gear and jumped on the Maine Turnpike , heading south once again. ??

It was now 8:45 PM and completely dark—but at least it wasn’t raining! ?✨

?️‍♂️ Under 30 Seconds to a Miracle! ⏱️?

We pulled into the parking lot near Fun-O-Rama @ Short Sands Beach , and I called Andrew. ?

He immediately came over to Cheryl and me, walking us over to where his family was sitting in their beach chairs, patiently waiting. ?️

The family had brilliantly placed a volleyball at the exact spot Kristen had been standing when she served the ball and the ring flew off. ??

I explained my game plan to the family. I would start just in front of the volleyball and swing my detector back and forth, making my way toward Fun-O-Rama .

If it wasn’t found within 30 feet or so, I would then search behind the ball—just in case the ring slipped off during her backswing. ↩️

I started the search right near their beach chairs and began walking toward the water. Within just 10 seconds, directly in front of the volleyball, I got a non-ferrous target signal! ?

At first, it was a slightly scratchy tone, and the TID (Target Identification) was jumping around in the 80s.

That definitely indicated a high-conducting metal, right in the sterling silver range! ? (However, modern quarters also ring up in the high 80s).

I used my foot to push some sand away and scanned the area again. This time, I got a very solid 88–90 on the TID! ?

Honestly, I thought it had to be a quarter. There was no way Kristen’s ring fell directly in front of where she was standing, just a couple of feet away… right? ?

I reached into the sand, fully expecting to pull out a coin—but it was the silver ring!!!

?✨ Unbelievable!!!!

I raised my hand with the ring and held it up to show the family. ?‍♂️ I watched jaws drop and heard nervous laughter break out as the entire family rushed over to me! ?‍♂️?

I handed the ring to Andrew, with Kristen right behind him. As soon as she saw it, she cried out that it was her ring! The smiles, high-fives, and pure joy instantly erupted! ??

It is absolutely crazy—just 5 seconds after I started swinging the detector, I hit the target. The ring was back in my hand after just 27 seconds total! (Cheryl’s video helped me time this out perfectly!). ?⏱️⚡

The entire family was ecstatic, telling me all over again just how much this ring meant to Kristen.

Kristen and her family thanked us repeatedly as she looked down at the ring, safely back on her finger where it belonged. ❤️
As we were wrapping up the celebration, a woman walking her dog strolled over. The family pointed her out as the incredible person who had recommended The Ring Finders of Maine to them in the first place! ?‍?

I thanked her for her amazing support and referral, and she smiled and told me, “I love what you do.” It is always such an incredible feeling to hear positive feedback from our followers and fans! ??

All that was left were the big hugs before we said our goodbyes. Everyone was still smiling and laughing as Cheryl and I walked away into the night. ?

Now, this wonderful family can fully enjoy the rest of their Maine vacation without the heartbreak of a lost ring hanging over their heads! ??☀️

? Lightning Strikes Twice! ⚡?

Another ring is back on the finger where it belongs! ? For the second night in a row, we successfully completed an evening recovery in pitch-black darkness. ?

But here is the truly crazy part: for the second night in a row, a ring was lost while playing volleyball! ??

In my 25 years of metal detecting, I have found well over 500 rings. I’ve found them in the dark and I’ve found them around volleyball courts. But in a quarter-century of doing this, I have never been called in to specifically search for a ring lost during a volleyball game. ❌

Now, on two consecutive evenings, I’ve been called out to find rings lost while serving a volleyball—first in Old Orchard Beach, Maine (OOB), and now in York Beach! ?️?
What are the absolute odds of that happening?! ??

Just remember: “If it matters to you, it matters to us.” ❤️

I truly have the best job in the world. I love what I do! ??

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