#YorkMaine Tag | The Ring Finders

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

September 1st, 2026 by Dennis Boothby
from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)

Contact:

1-207-423-3027
Call or Text

🚨 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! 🥂❤️

Tags:

Category:

Uncategorized

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

August 18th, 2026 by Dennis Boothby
from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)

Contact:

1-207-423-3027
Call or Text

𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐓𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐀𝐍: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓. 𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐘 𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐏𝐔𝐙𝐙𝐋𝐄

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.

𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒

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.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇 𝐁𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐒

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.

𝐀 𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐄 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄

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.

𝐒𝐋𝐄𝐄𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 & 𝐀 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍

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.

𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍: 𝟑𝟓!

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.

𝐀𝐍 𝐄𝐂𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘

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:

𝐀 𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐒𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐈𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐋

“𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙤 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚 𝙗𝙮 𝙢𝙮 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙬𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝙄𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙜𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙨. 𝙄 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩, 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙙. 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙄’𝙙 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣. 𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧. 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙥𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨. 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣, 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙯𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙖𝙣. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩.”

𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐖𝐄 𝐃𝐎 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐖𝐄 𝐃𝐎

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!

𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐤𝐞𝐲𝐬, 𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐦, 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜, 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚! 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐬 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝟐𝟎𝟕-𝟒𝟐𝟑-𝟑𝟎𝟐𝟕

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

Tags:

Category:

Uncategorized

Gold Wedding Ring Lost In The Beach Sand, Found With A Metal Detector, in Old Orchard Beach, Maine

August 15th, 2026 by Dennis Boothby
from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)

Contact:

1-207-423-3027
Call or Text

𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄, 𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐎𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇!

It was Thursday, July 16th, and it started out as a picture-perfect Maine summer day.

Ron and his wife, Deb, were loving every second of their vacation, relaxing outside the Sea Watch Condominiums right here in Old Orchard Beach.

The ocean view was beautiful, the sun was shining, and the beach was packed with people soaking up the warmth.

After a while, Ron decided to head into the surf for a refreshing swim .

Before walking down to the water, he did what many people do—he slipped off his precious wedding ring and placed it safely inside the cup holder of his beach chair.

After his swim, Ron rejoined Deb at their chairs. The couple lay back, completely relaxed, without a single care in the world.

But Mother Nature had other plans for mid-afternoon.

Out of absolutely nowhere, a massive, severe cold front slammed into the coast. A line of violent thunderstorms swept through the area with terrifying speed. Suddenly, peaceful relaxation turned into pure survival mode!

* 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭? Local wind gusts right on Old Orchard Beach clocked in at an incredible 43 mph, whipping the ocean into a choppy, dangerous surf.

* 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞: The storm was tearing across the state, bringing 44 mph winds to Sanford and up to 60 mph gusts up north in Bangor, leaving tens of thousands of Mainers entirely without power!

Down on OOB, the wind hit like a freight train. Everyone on the beach was literally being sandblasted by the flying grit. It was blinding, painful, and complete chaos.

Panicking as the storm raged around them, Ron and Deb grabbed what they could and fled the beach, running as fast as they could to find cover from the wind and pelting rain.

But in the frantic rush to escape being sandblasted… Ron’s wedding ring was completely forgotten, sitting right there in the cup holder of his beach chair.

Once they safely made it back inside their room at The SeaWatch Beachfront Condominiums, the adrenaline began to fade, and a sinking feeling set in. Ron reached for his finger, looked around, and realized with a jolt that his ring was missing!

They frantically tore through everything they had carried inside. They checked and re-checked the beach chairs, shook out the towels, and emptied the beach bags. All to no avail.

As soon as the severe weather finally passed the area, Ron and Deb hurried back down to the beach, eyes glued to the ground. But the storm had done its work. The heavy wind and flying sand had completely reshaped the beach, and the ring had vanished without a trace.

Seeing their distress, several kind members of The SeaWatch Association stepped in to help. They gave Deb my contact information and told her to give me a call.

When Deb reached out, she asked if I might be able to head down to search for her husband’s ring over the next day or so, whenever I could find the time. I stopped her right there. I explained that when it comes to a lost ring on a shifting shoreline, time is of the essence!

Waiting a day or two simply wasn’t an option. Old Orchard is a highly popular public beach where a stray glint of gold can easily catch someone else’s eye.

Even worse, the OOB beach cleaning rake machines are a HUGE concern, capable of scooping up and burying a ring deep in the debris.

On top of that, there is always the chance of another metal detectorist scanning the area before I could get there.

I told Deb that Cheryl and I would load up the gear and be down there in 15 to 20 minutes!

When we arrived on site, Ron and Deb met us to point out the area where they had been sitting when the cold front blew through.

However, memory can be a bit tricky after a wild storm, and there was a little confusion as to the exact location.

Ron was convinced they had been parked towards the northern end of the building, while Deb was absolutely certain it was more towards the center of the structure.

Now, I’ve done enough of these recoveries to know you never argue with a wife’s intuition!

I chose to start my precise grid search in the exact area Deb pointed out. I reassured the couple that if it didn’t turn up there, I would move over to search Ron’s suspected area next. If that still didn’t work, I was prepared to grid the entire escape route they took from the beach all the way to the access path.

I turned on my detector and began sweeping the sand in Deb’s zone. I didn’t have to walk very far before my machine locked onto a very strong, beautiful signal!

With Deb standing anxiously right beside me, I pulled out my pinpointer to narrow down the target. As I carefully moved the top layer of sand aside, a HUGE gold ring glinted in the sunlight!

Deb instantly gasped, “𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒊𝒕!”

Ron, looking over from a few yards away, blinked and said, “𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕?”

Deb shouted back with a huge smile, “𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈!”

Ron stood there in total disbelief, scratching his head. “𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆!”

Chalk up another massive win for wife’s intuition!

Ron walked on over, and it was an incredible feeling to place that heavy gold band right back into his hand. Deb immediately threw her arms around me, giving me a big, grateful hug and thanking me for saving the day. Ron followed right up with a hearty, unforgettable handshake and his own deep thanks.

As Cheryl and I packed up and walked off the beach, the happy couple thanked us one last time. They were already heading back to find those wonderful SeaWatch Association Members to give them a massive thank you for the life-saving referral!

Moments like this remind us why “𝑾𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒋𝒐𝒃 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅. 𝑾𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒋𝒐𝒃!” Another piece of precious history saved, and another stormy day turned into smiles!

𝐒𝐄𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘!

Want to see the excitement for yourself? Head over to our Ring Finders of Maine Facebook page to watch the recovery video! We caught the exact moment the ring was found, along with the fantastic, priceless reactions from Deb and Ron when that gold ring finally came out of the sand!

“𝐈𝐟 𝐈𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐓𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮, 𝐈𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐓𝐨 𝐔𝐬”

If you have lost a valuable ring or sentimental item in the sand or surf, don’t wait for the tide or the beach rakes to take it. Stop digging and contact Dennis at 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝟐𝟎𝟕-𝟒𝟐𝟑-𝟑𝟎𝟐𝟕 or email theringfindersofmaine@gmail.com!

Tags:

Category:

Uncategorized

Platinum Engagement and Wedding Rings Lost On The Beach, in York Maine, Found With A Metal Detector, at Long Sands Beach

July 22nd, 2026 by Dennis Boothby
from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)

Contact:

1-207-423-3027
Call or Text

🌊 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.” 👋🕵️‍♂️

Tags:

Category:

Uncategorized

Gold Wedding Ring Lost In The Beach Sand, Found With A Metal Detector, On Long Sands Beach, York, Maine

July 16th, 2026 by Dennis Boothby
from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)

Contact:

1-207-423-3027
Call or Text

🇺🇸 A JULY 4TH RESCUE! 🇺🇸

On Saturday, July 4th, as our nation was celebrating our 250th anniversary, I received a call from Nick. Nick had arrived at Long Sands Beach in York Beach, Maine. It was still early in the morning as he, his family, and his friends were setting up their beach spot with a large umbrella, chairs, and other gear.

☀️ THE ACCIDENT ☀️
Nick had sat down in his beach chair to apply sun protection. He took his wedding ring off and placed it on his lap. Once finished with the lotion, Nick stood up and, moments later, realized his wedding ring was now somewhere in the sand.

❌ FRUITLESS SEARCHING ❌
After getting help from others in his beach group, they realized walking through the area and sifting sand with their fingers was fruitless. They knew they may actually be moving the ring out of the area or even pushing it deeper into the beach sand.

🛑 QUICK THINKING! 🛑
Nick wisely had everyone stop looking for the ring and then called me. He also made a very good decision and stopped all traffic through the area by positioning the beach chairs in a circle around the zone where the ring was thought to be. Great job, Nick!!!

🚗 ON THE WAY 🚗
Nick asked if I could come down and search for his wedding ring. Enough said—Cheryl and I were on our way to York.

🅿️ THE PARKING NIGHTMARE 🅿️
Because it was a Saturday and a July 4th holiday weekend, traffic and parking were big issues up and down the Southern Maine Coast. The travel time was longer than usual and parking was nonexistent in York. Streets and lots near the beach were completely full.

🥵 THE TREK 🥵
After driving further and further from the beach area, Cheryl and I finally found a spot, but it came with a physical price. The parking spot was literally eight-tenths of a mile from where Nick was on the beach!Cheryl and I grabbed the equipment and started walking. It was very hot, and I wasn’t looking forward to the return walk to the vehicle, but I knew I would be in a great mood if I could find Nick’s wedding ring. I called Nick to tell him we were getting close, and he said he would meet us at the lifeguard stand.

🏖️ THE ARRIVAL 🏖️
Once Cheryl and I arrived, we saw Nick waving to us. We made our way over to the scene of the lost ring, and I started searching just behind the chair Nick had been sitting in.

🔍 THE FIRST ATTEMPT 🔍
His wedding ring was not behind the chair. I asked if the chairs could be moved backward a little bit, out of the way. As the chairs were being moved, I started searching the side of the umbrella where Nick had been sitting. My first grid pass resulted in no targets.

✨ FOUND IT! ✨
As I started my second grid pass, I heard Nick say, “I see it!” Nick then bent over and picked up his wedding ring. It was actually just a little outside the zone where they thought it would be.

🧐 A BEACH MYSTERY 🧐
Had the ring stuck to Nick for a few steps when he got up? Had it been moved while everyone was searching for it? We will never know! We believe the ring was covered by sand as people started moving chairs and coolers, but then became uncovered again by the activity of clearing the area

.🎉 BACK TO CELEBRATING 🎉Either way, Nick was absolutely thrilled to have his ring back, and the tension instantly vanished. It was time for Nick and his group to get back to celebrating the holiday and enjoying life!

🥾 THE HIKE BACK 🥾
Cheryl and I started our long hike back to our vehicle, already wondering what adventure would be waiting for us next on this hot holiday weekend

.💬 A BEAUTIFUL MESSAGE FROM NICK 💬
Later that afternoon, I received the following text from Nick:”The relief you bring to people must be rewarding to witness. And your willingness to help others, especially on a holiday, is extremely generous. You saved me a lot of guilt and anxiety, and I can’t thank you enough for the service. Take care and be well. – Nick”

❤️ WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO ❤️Nick, it is extremely rewarding! There is absolutely nothing like seeing someone get their sentimental ring back and watching the smiles spread across their face. We truly have the best job in the world, and we love every minute of it.

🙌 Remember: If It Matters To You, It Matters To Us! 🙌

Tags:

Category:

Uncategorized

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

July 1st, 2026 by Dennis Boothby
from Old Orchard Beach (Maine, United States)

Contact:

1-207-423-3027
Call or Text

🏐 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! 🙏😊

Tags:

Category:

Uncategorized